Pay-as-you-go water dispensers are used in many areas in the Global South, particularly those that are 'off-grid'. This book examines the increasing influence of private sector companies and philanthrocapitalist organisations in the supply of water kiosks to the inhabitants of rural and peri-urban areas of Kenya.

Rather than serving the needs of the poor, the book shows how the private sector opens up remote regions to market-based development, while excluding local approaches and actors.