Expedition Report
This expedition to Kenya was a nine-week multidisciplinary project combining hydrological research with a public health survey along the coastal region near Mombasa. The team, comprising seven undergraduates from Imperial and other UK institutions, initially planned to calibrate the Baricho Weir and assess the impact of the new Coastal Water Supply Scheme on local communities. However, delays in weir construction forced a shift to loss-rating the Sabaki River between Baricho and Malindi, using current metering techniques to estimate channel leakage and inform water abstraction strategies for Mombasa and Malindi.
Hydrological work involved systematic flow measurements at multiple sites under challenging conditions—wide, shallow channels, high sediment loads, and tidal influences near Malindi. Despite equipment failures and logistical hurdles, the team produced valuable baseline data, calculating an average flow loss of approximately 0.053 m³/s per kilometer over a 56 km stretch. These findings highlighted the complexity of water management in sediment-laden rivers and the limitations of field techniques under tropical conditions.
The public health study focused on villages including Bureni, Kikambala, Vipingo, and Jaribuni. Researchers documented water sources (open wells, wind-pumped wells, rivers), sanitation practices, and disease prevalence. Common issues included inadequate latrines, poor drainage, and reliance on contaminated water, contributing to outbreaks of typhoid, cholera, malaria, and diarrheal diseases.
In addition to funding provided by the Exploration Board this expedition was supported by the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council and the Holbein Travel Award.
