1. PROF JOSEPHINE KHAOMA W. NGAIRA- PhD, MKNAS DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY
MASENO UNIVERSITY
P. O. BOX 333, MASENO, KENYA
Mobile: /
WATER CHALLENGES AND POLICY ISSUES IN KENYA. N ASAC-KNAW, MARCH, 2012 CONFERENCE, REDUIT,MAURITIUS.

2. Fig 1. Kenya –Location.

3. 2. Water situation in Kenya
Only 647 cubic meters per person per year, 35% below the UN scarcity benchmark of 1000 cu M per person annually.
Bulk of Kenya's renewable water comes from rainfall with annual volume of bn cubic meters.
Safe ground water annual abstraction is about 193 million cubic meters.
33% (13 million) Kenyans lack access to safe water supply.
50% of disease burden and hospital visits is due to poor water supply and sanitation ( dysentery, diarrhea, typhoid, cholera). .

4. 3. Global water distribution.
Total global water is over 1300 million cubic km stored in the Hydrologic cycle (fig 1).
97% is salty and stored in seas, oceans, some lakes ( unfit for direct use-agric,indus, domestic).
Only 40 million cubic km (3%) is fresh, unevenly distributed and available as follows:
75% is found in glaciers and ice caps.
24.7% as ground water and 0.3% as surface water in lakes/rivers.

5. 4. Water Resources in Kenya.
Uneven water distribution- 80% of Kenya is ASAL.
High evaporation (over 1800 mm), surface runoff (20 bn cu M), low infiltration, low groundwater recharge.
Heavy annual rainfall (2000mm) in highlands.
Fresh water-L.Victoria,2nd largest fresh water lake in the world,L.Naivasha, L.Baringo
Ground water in ASALs, but lack of technology and funds for investment.
Many rivers and lakes are shared by one/two countries. Table 1.

6. Table 1. Water Bodies shared with neighboring Countries
Shared Body
Countries
Lake Victoria
Uganda and Tanzania
Lake Natron
Tanzania
Lake Turkana
Ethiopia
River Sio
Uganda
River Mara
River Omo

7. 5. Water Policy and Legislation. SAVE WATER,SECURE LIFE (slogan)
Water issues in Kenya are managed by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI).
Through Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965, govt promised to supply piped water to all house holds by the year 2000, however this target was not achieved due to lack of policy framework.
Sessional Paper No. 1 of 1999, established The National Policy on water resource management and devt. With the MWI playing Regulatory /Function enabling Role .
Policy calls for de-centralisation of activities to local authorities, private sector and community participation and gender integration. Also deals with Water supply, sanitation, financing and Institutional Frameworks to improve efficiency in distribution (Fig 2).

8. Fig 2. National water policy structure.

9. 6. Water Act 2OO2.
Developed to operationalise the National Water Policy by establishing Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) and formation of Regulation, Service provision and Ownership policies. Regulation: (a) water service regulatory Board (wasreb), b) Flood control and land reclamation, c) Dam construction, d) National irrigation, e) water conservation.
Service policies: waste water treatment and disposal, water and sewerage services, water service board and water appeal tribunal.
Ownership: Public water schemes and Community projects.

10. 7. Advantages of Water Policies
Increased donor funding from EU and World Bank, Japan
Increased govt funds from Kshs 2bn in 2002 to14bn in 2007.
Creation 0f 8 water catchment areas called Water service boards ( Coast, L.Victoria N and S, Athi, Tana, Rift valley,Ewaso Ngiro
Water treatment plants, borehole sinking in ASALs.
Rain water harvesting in dams and pans, water tanks.
Establishment of Integrated Water shed management (IWM) tool in ( watershed rehabilitation).
WRUA- Water Resource Users Association for Ownership and Efficiency..
Increased girls school attendance .

11. 8 .Challenges to policy success.
Catchment degradation and deforestation -Mau
80% of surface water abstractions are illegal (corruption)
Only 60% of urban and 40% of rural population have access to safe water.
High population growth rate at 2.6% with estimated population of 42 million by 2013 puts pressure on current water resources.
Prolonged droughts –drying of rivers, lack of rainfall, lack of ground water recharge, water scarcity.
Siltation, erosion, increased runoff, poor farming ways.

12. 9. Initiatives to improve water supply
Ground water exploitation by sinking boreholes in ASALs.
Rain water harvesting during floods.
Increased water treatment plants for water recycling.
Enhanced water availability through afforestation, good land-water use practices and bio-diversity conservation.
Transboundary water initiatives e.g the Nile Basin initiative leads to increased joint water developments.
Private sector involvement- World Vision, KWAHO,

13. THANK YOU
ASANTE SANA