DECENTRALIZATION WITHOUT DELIVERY? URBAN WATER SCARCITY AND RESOURCE INSECURITY IN SECONDARY KENYAN TOWNS, A CASE OF OYUGIS TOWN, HOMA BAY COUNTY, KENYA

Urban water scarcity in rapidly growing secondary towns presents a critical challenge to sustainable development, particularly within decentralized governance systems where institutional capacity remains uneven. This study examines the dynamics of water scarcity and resource insecurity in Oyugis Town, Homa Bay County, Kenya, interrogating how urbanization, environmental change, and devolved governance interact to shape water access and service delivery outcomes. Anchored in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Political Ecology frameworks, the study adopts a convergent mixed-methods design, integrating household survey data (n = 384) with key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and spatial analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including regression modelling, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis. The findings reveal a structurally embedded and multidimensional water crisis characterized by limited access to formal infrastructure, with only 13.5% of households connected to piped water and widespread reliance on informal sources such as boreholes (31.8%) and water vendors (27.1%). Water access is further constrained by high costs, long collection times, and pronounced spatial inequalities. Inferential results demonstrate that urbanization (β = 0.42), land use change (β = 0.31), and governance effectiveness (β = 0.28) significantly influence water scarcity, while climate variability exerts a negative effect on water availability (β = −0.36), with the model explaining 64% of observed variation (R² = 0.64). Despite the institutional reforms associated with devolution, the study finds limited improvement in service delivery, with evidence of weak coordination, infrastructural deficits, and growing dependence on informal water markets. The study advances debates on decentralized water governance by demonstrating that devolution, in the absence of adequate technical and financial capacity, may reproduce rather than resolve urban water inequalities in secondary towns. It highlights the need to move beyond institutional restructuring towards integrated, infrastructure-led, and climate-resilient urban water management approaches. These findings provide critical insights for policy and planning in rapidly urbanizing regions of Sub- Saharan Africa, where the “missing middle” of secondary towns remains underserved.