What was the challenge?
The transition to devolved government in Kenya created new opportunities for county governments to plan and finance water resource management in response to local priorities. At the same time, many counties were establishing new governance structures, developing sector policies and defining their investment priorities. While communities understood the water challenges affecting their catchments, there were limited mechanisms for translating these priorities into funded county programmes. Strengthening the link between community planning and public investment therefore became an important component of improving water governance.
What did CESPAD do?
Under the Promoting Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Kenya project, CESPAD worked with county governments, the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA), the Kenya Water Partnership, Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) and local communities to strengthen dialogue on water governance and improve planning for water resource management. The project focused on creating platforms through which communities could participate in identifying priority investments while supporting county governments to integrate these priorities into policy, planning and budgeting processes.
Stakeholder consultations, policy dialogue meetings and lobbying sessions brought together county leadership, technical officers, community representatives and water sector institutions to discuss water management priorities. Through these engagements, communities presented evidence on local water challenges, including degraded catchments, inadequate water storage, declining spring yields and the need for improved water infrastructure. Budget proposals and technical recommendations were subsequently submitted to county governments for consideration within their planning and budgeting processes.
What was produced?
The process demonstrated the value of participatory planning in influencing public investment. As counties gained a better understanding of community priorities and the technical basis for proposed interventions, water resource management became more visible within county development planning. Our project evidence shows that the County Governments of Makueni and Kajiado increased budgetary allocations for water resource management and committed approximately KSh 19.1 million towards interventions that included spring protection, lining of irrigation canals, construction of sand dams, protection of Kiserian Dam and support for the development of the Kajiado County Water Policy.
What changed?
The increased investment reflected more than the financing of individual infrastructure projects. It illustrated how structured engagement between communities and government institutions can improve public investment decisions. Rather than responding to isolated requests, county governments were able to draw on priorities that had been identified through participatory planning processes and supported by technical evidence.
The project also strengthened relationships between county governments and community institutions. Water Resource Users Associations became more actively involved in county planning processes, while county officials gained greater appreciation of the role that local communities could play in identifying development priorities and supporting implementation. These interactions contributed to stronger coordination between government institutions and community-based organizations responsible for managing water resources.
What did we learn?
An important lesson emerging from the project is that effective advocacy extends beyond influencing policy. When communities are organized, supported with technical information and provided with opportunities to engage decision-makers, advocacy can contribute to tangible public investment. The experience also demonstrates that participatory planning can strengthen accountability by ensuring that county investments respond to locally identified priorities while reinforcing collaboration between communities and government.
Our experience shows that improving water governance requires both strong institutions and inclusive planning processes. By supporting dialogue, strengthening local participation and linking community priorities with county planning, the project contributed to increased public investment in water resource management. The approach provides a practical example of how participatory governance can help translate community priorities into funded interventions that support water security and sustainable management of natural resources.