In February 2017, Water. Desalination + reuse (Faversham House) reported that Mombasa County in Kenya had asked for offers and statements of interest covering a contract to steer procurement of a large desalination project. Its scope covered design, financing, construction and operation, with a deadline of 17 February 2017. A tender published in October 2016 put supply at 48,000 m³/day against demand of 180,000 m³/day, a gap of 73 percent. In November 2016, governor Hassan Joho had warned that land costs could derail a planned 100,000 m³/day plant at Shanzu.
The report showed that Mombasa met less than a third of its water demand and that Kenya was turning to desalination, with land acquisition already emerging as an obstacle.