Environmentalists have called on stakeholders in the water sector to take advantage of the heavy rains currently being experienced in many parts of the country to conserve the essential commodity.
A workshop at a Nanyuki hotel, Laikipia County convened by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) dubbed “Journey of Water” heard that Kenya is coming out of a severe drought but majority of people are watching silently as the water goes down the drain while others continue to lament over floods.
The stakeholders plan to undertake a conservation walk along the tributaries of River Ewaso Ng’iro, where they will sensitise the community on the importance of this water source that supports livelihoods in ten northern Kenya counties.
WWF Programme Officer Dr William Ojwang’ said the 700Km river that drains into Lorian Swamp in Wajir County is facing major threats among them encroachment, uncontrolled abstraction of water on its tributaries upstream and unregulated sand harvesting in the midstream.
“We are targeting Ewaso Nyiro North, a walk of three days from the catchment to downstream areas. This will ensure we understand the needs of downstream communities on issues of water obstruction and degradation,” revealed Ojwang’.
He added that the government is keen on sensitizing Kenyans on the need to protect water catchment areas through tree planting, however, he called for individual responsibility to conserve the God given resources.
“Water is everyone’s responsibility, and therefore the need to bring people together to reduce water related risks on economic growth. We need to be concerned that if we don’t take care of water by improving catchment management, integrated water management may not be able to achieve its development goals,” said Ojwang’.
Laikipia East Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Muli challenged Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) to discharge their mandates without favour to prevent water resource-based conflicts that are witnessed in the Ewaso Ng’iro Basin during drought time.
The WRUA leadership through its National Chairman Julius Kirinya noted that though empowered by law to carry out conservation activities on water sources, they were starved of funding, something that hindered them from dispatching their mandate effectively.
Kiriinya decried that rivers had dried up due to increased human activities like cutting of trees and farming along the riparian land.
Chairman of Mashini WRUA in Samburu County Henry Lenawasae said the community driven water resources management association requires both funding and political goodwill from the county government noting that youths were engaging in illegal sand harvesting on River Ewaso Ng’iro due to lack of alternative sources of livelihood.
The meeting had brought together all stakeholders within the Ewaso Nyiro basin ahead of the “Journey of Water,’’ campaign set to be held on June 6, 2023 and which coincides with the World Environmental Day.
Meanwhile, the first national campaign on water catchment protection was held last year and focused on river Malewa in Lake Naivasha Basin.
By Muturi Mwangi
