What was the challenge?
Effective water governance depends not only on investments in infrastructure but also on policies and legal frameworks that provide clear guidance for managing water resources. Following the introduction of devolved government in Kenya, county governments assumed new responsibilities for developing legislation and policies to guide the management of water resources within their jurisdictions. However, many counties had limited technical experience in policy formulation and in facilitating meaningful public participation in legislative processes.
What did CESPAD do?
Under the Promoting Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Kenya project, CESPAD supported county governments to strengthen policy development by promoting participatory and evidence-based approaches. The project worked with county governments, the Kenya Water Partnership (KWP), the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA), Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) and other stakeholders to ensure that Integrated Water Resources Management principles were reflected in emerging county legislation and national policy discussions.
One area of support focused on strengthening the capacity of county institutions to lead policy development. CESPAD facilitated stakeholder consultation meetings, supported the establishment of county technical teams and trained representatives from county departments on participatory policy analysis and formulation. The objective was to enable counties to develop policies that reflected local priorities while remaining aligned with national legislation and the Constitution of Kenya.
What was produced?
The project also created opportunities for communities to participate in policy discussions through Water Resource Users Associations and other local stakeholders. Community consultations enabled water users to share their experiences on issues such as water allocation, catchment degradation and unsustainable sand harvesting. These perspectives informed discussions on county legislation and strengthened the link between policy development and local realities.
What changed?
The participatory approach contributed to several policy outcomes during the project period. In Makueni County, the Sand Conservation and Utilization Bill, 2015 was enacted to regulate sand harvesting and promote more sustainable management of river ecosystems. In Kajiado County, the County Water Policy 2015 was drafted with technical support from CESPAD and its partners, while policy dialogue at the national level contributed to the inclusion of Integrated Water Resources Management principles in discussions on the National Water Policy and the Water Bill.
Beyond the policy documents themselves, the process strengthened institutional capacity within county governments and created mechanisms for continued engagement between government agencies and community institutions. County technical teams gained practical experience in participatory policy development, while WRUAs became more actively involved in policy dialogue and local decision-making. This strengthened the relationship between communities and government institutions responsible for water resource management.
What did we learn?
The experience demonstrated that policy development is most effective when it combines technical expertise with local knowledge. Public participation helped ensure that county legislation reflected the realities facing water users, while collaboration among government institutions, civil society and communities strengthened ownership of the resulting policies.
CESPAD's role was to facilitate this collaborative process by providing technical support, creating platforms for dialogue and strengthening institutional capacity. The project illustrates how participatory policy development can contribute to governance systems that are better equipped to manage water resources, respond to local challenges and support the long-term implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management principles.