Strategic management of water
resources in Kenya
A presentation to the annual water services
providers conference at KENYATTA
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE
NAIROBI.
8th September 2011
Eng. J.M.Kinyua
WRMA
Presentation outline
1. National perspective in strategic Water
Resources Management
2. Catchment as the basis for managing Water
Resources
3. Application of the strategies at the grass roots
level
4. Challenges in delivering the strategies
5. Water service providers and WRM
6. Areas of corporation
1. National Water Resources
Management strategy.
The Water Act 2002 in sec.11 (1) requires that a
National Water Resources Management Strategy
be developed. One was developed in 20072009. The strategy describes how Water
resources shall be managed, protected, used,
developed, conserved and controlled.
It had 7 strategic objectives whose attainment is
various levels.
NWRM Strategic 7 objectives
• Improve water resources assessment in order to obtain
more accurate information on ground and surface water
safe yield
• Put in place mechanisms that provide equal access to water
for all Kenyans
• Enhance and strengthen roles of Gender in WRM
• Create mechanisms for integrating land and water
resources planning and management on a catchment basis
• Create mechanisms for catchment conservation and
management
• Put in place measures to enhance water availability Q&Q
• Put in place strategies that promote production of accurate
data on water use
2. Catchment Management Strategies
Water Act 2002 sec 15 (1) requires that each
catchment area develops a CMS consistent with the
NWRMS.
All the six Catchment areas have developed and
gazzeted their CMSs.
The process involved going through a series of
consultative meetings in which stakeholders’ views
were sought and incorporated into the final CMS.
The CMS identifies WRM issues affecting the
catchment and proposes actions to deal with them.
3. Development and Implementation
of Sub Catchment Plans
The CMS are broad and very varied. In order to provide
focus and consistency in the implementation of the CMSs,
we develop localized Sub Catchment Management Plans,
in collaboration with WRUAs. These are a mirror image of
what is contained in the CMS. ( both for training and
implementation).
The WRUAs are supported by WSTF, the World Bank and
other financiers to implement activities identified. This
ensures strong stakeholder participation in WRM as they
take charge of water issues. WRMA provides technical
support and assurance to the financiers
4.Challenges in delivering the
strategies
• WRUA concept is voluntary and members share their
available time with their busy schedules. Speed of
implementation is very slow
• Capacity to develop and implement the SCMPs both at
WRUA level and support from WRMA level is grossly
inadequate.
• Financial resources have been critically limiting. The
total cost of the WRMA strategic plan 2008-2012 was
estimated at KShs 11,881.23 Million . The GOK
contribution since 2008 has been Kshs 210 million
• Large abstractors shunning to become active WRUA
members.
Challenges cont’d
• Lack of storage for large abstractors
• Violation of the reserve
• Water use conflicts – Basic human needs,
Domestic w/s, irrigation, industrial
• Lack of adequate and accurate WR date
• Deterioration of Water quality ( sewerage
transmission and treatment.
5. Water service providers and WRM
Water services providers are among the largest
abstractors after irrigation. Some realities
• Traditionally, permits for domestic water supplies
did not require a storage facility. This is no longer
tenable- water scarcity and impact of CC are real.
• Water quality is impacting their water treatment
costs – invest in catchment rehabilitation
• Waste water treatment systems is by and large
ineffective- impacting on downstream users
6. Areas of corporation
As a major stakeholder, WSPs have everything to gain in
getting involved in WRM activities in the sub catchment
of their water source
• Be compliant to the provisions of WRM rules 2007
• Actively join and strengthen the local WRUA
• Strategically invest in storage to meet your daily
demand across the year
• Reduce waste through the transmission systemExpensive to WSP and denies valuable water to down
stream users
• Invest in and seriously deal with sewerage
transmission and treatment.
End of presentation
Than you for your Kind attention