Our vision

"Working together to create a world where water, nature and people thrive."

Water is governance.
Governance is livelihoods.

CESPAD translates policy, innovation, and investment into measurable development outcomes across water, environment, climate, land, and natural resources.

Explore our programmes
Boy drinking clean water from a village standpipe
0Counties reached across Kenya
0People with stronger water & climate systems
0Hectares of degraded land restored
0Water & climate finance mobilized
0Policies, laws & guidelines influenced

Strategic intervention areas

Four ways we move water governance forward

From basin-wide water security to the internal systems that keep us accountable, every program strengthens the institutions and people who govern water.

Water security

Integrated Water Resources Management

Basin-scale IWRM programs across major catchments — Athi, Tana, Ewaso Ng'iro, Rift Valley and Lake Victoria — combining climate-resilient infrastructure, community data and policy reform. Four new legislative frameworks and counting.

See how catchment planning connects communities, institutions and water investment →
Inclusion

Gender, Youth & Water

Women, youth and grassroots leaders now hold real decision-making roles in WRUAs and county water forums, with trained budget champions monitoring projects and citizen data shaping county law.

See how participation, budget monitoring and citizen evidence strengthen accountability →
Resilience

Water, Climate, Food & Conflict

Nature-based restoration, climate-smart agriculture and blended finance that ease resource tensions — over 100,000 hectares restored and measurable reductions in upstream–downstream conflict.

See how the water–climate–food nexus guides restoration, livelihoods and investment →
Institutions

Organizational Development & Knowledge

The Integrity Management Toolbox, assessment tools and six training modules that have strengthened 200+ water institutions and enterprises — and lifted county water budgets by 6% through evidence-based advocacy.

See how CESPAD strengthens institutions, tools and learning for better delivery →

How we work

Convene. Strengthen. Mobilize.

CESPAD translates policy, innovation, and investment into measurable development outcomes across water, environment, climate, land, and natural resources. Working with county governments, regional blocs, and national institutions, CESPAD strengthens systems, empowers communities, and mobilizes finance to deliver lasting water, climate, and development results.

  • Convene the platforms

    Multi-stakeholder platforms across counties, regional economic blocs and national forums that turn policy, innovation and investment into measurable outcomes.

  • Strengthen the institutions

    200+ water and natural resource institutions and rural enterprises strengthened through governance, integrity and financial management frameworks.

  • Mobilize the finance

    Over USD 25 million in public, donor and private finance leveraged for WASH, restoration and climate resilience — built for scale and independence.

Working together to create a world where water, nature, and people thrive.
Our vision — CESPAD, Kenyan Public Benefit Organization since 2012

Watch

Water governance in action

A conversation with Asha Shaaban on building Kenya's water future — how convening platforms, strengthening institutions and mobilizing finance add up across 25+ counties.

Field notes

Latest from the ground

Workshop training

Four new water laws shaped by citizen evidence

Community-generated data informed county legislation on sand harvesting, rainwater, riparian protection and county water — proof that citizen science moves policy.

Read the story →
Wetland restoration work

County water budgets up 6% after advocacy

Evidence-based advocacy behind 25+ adopted WASH laws and guidelines translated directly into bigger county water allocations.

Read the story →
Community river stewardship

Restoration easing upstream–downstream tensions

Vetiver, bamboo and coordinated basin planning are restoring land and measurably reducing resource conflict between communities.

Read the story →

Community action

Kick for Water: community action in pictures.

Kick for Water brings young people, schools and local leaders together around sport, water stewardship and environmental action. Explore the campaign's story and photos.

Community-poweredEvery edition
Youth-ledTeams & schools
Clean waterEvery match funds access
View the campaign archive
Girl cupping clean water from a tap — Kick for Water campaign

How to engage

Better water governance doesn't happen by itself

County governments: institutionalize IWRM and legislative reform with us. Donors: partner on basin restoration and climate-resilient WASH at scale. Private sector: build water value chains and blended finance that lasts.

Become a partner Talk to our team

Who we work with

Working alongside organisations that make change possible

We work with public institutions, development partners, research organisations and community networks to improve water governance, strengthen environmental action and turn evidence into practical results.

Public institutions

We support public bodies responsible for water, environmental management and local development.

25+ County GovernmentsMinistry of Water, Sanitation & IrrigationWater Resources AuthorityWASREBNEMAKEFRI

Development partners

We contribute local insight, implementation experience and evidence to wider development programmes.

SIDAUKAIDGIZSIMAVI

Research and accountability networks

We connect research, financing and accountability practice with decisions made on the ground.

Water Sector Trust FundWater Integrity NetworkIRCWRI

Community and local networks

We work with water users and local organisations so that plans, policies and investments reflect lived experience.

Water Resource Users AssociationsCommunity organisationsLocal implementation partners

National footprint

Where we work

CESPAD is active in 25 counties across Kenya. Select a highlighted county to see it on the map.

Lower water access
Higher water access

Shade = % of county population served by a formalized water service provider (WASREB, 2023/24) — darker is higher coverage.

25 counties, one mission

Click any highlighted county on the map to learn more. Two counties link directly to documented CESPAD stories.

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