Water Resource Management and Use

The Kenya Constitution 2010 gives every person the right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities [Article 43. (1)(d)]. It also demands that the State puts in place affirmative action programs designed to ensure that minorities and marginalized groups have reasonable access to water [Article 56. (e)]. The constitution also provides that water services will be handled by County Governments whereas water resources management remains a national government function. In spite of these constitutional provisions there are a myriad of challenges facing the country that must be overcame before the vision can be realized. The main challenge is the fact that more than 80% of the land area of Kenya is arid and semi-arid. According to the National Water Master Plan 2030 (NWMP2030) the country’s per capita renewable water resources was 586m3/person/yr in 2010. This figure is likely to reduce to 393 m3/person/yr by the year 2030 (NWMP2030).

The impacts on and costs to the economy related ineffective and unsustainable management of the nations water resources may not be clear to many but are extremely large and in the long run irredeemable. The impacts extend to key sectors of the economy — including health, agriculture and livestock, energy, manufacturing, and transport. Judging by the level of the current budgetary allocation to water resources management, the country clearly does not fully appreciate the extent of the water resources challenges it faces, fully recognizing the social, economic, and political risks associated with poor water resources management, and so does not adequately treat and manage water resources as a strategic resource with important social and economic values.