The Kenya’s Water Resources Management Authority appeals for adequate funding.
Posted by African Press International on August 3, 2012
By Thomas Ochieng API Kenya
The Kenya’s statutory body charged with the responsibility of managing her water resources, the Water Resource Management Authority WARMA has launched a performance report that paints a picture of acute funding by the State towards the preservation and management of water catchment eras in the country.
The performance report for the year 2009/2010 funded through the support of German funding body the GIZ is a publication that intends to inform the general public on how water resources are managed in Kenya.
Speaking during the official launch of the report in Nairobi, the Director of Water Resources at the Ministry of Water Mr.John Rao Nyarao, underscored the importance and the wisdom in the formation of the statutory authority WARMA to accelerate the preservation of water resources in the country. Nyaoro “This independent Water Authority plays a very important function that had been neglected for quite some time in Kenya and the bold step taken for the Authority to publish its appraisal document for the public is very commendable” Said Nyaoro adding that the management of water resources
will improve the water availability to the nation for prosperity.
The report states that effective management of water resources is a perquisite for a sustainable water service provision. It further states that the immediate financial returns gained by effective management of water as a resource is not short term, hence the reluctance from the government to factor this sector in its budgetary allocations which are often annual in estimation. The Chairman of the authority Mr.Francis Nyenze appealed for more financial consideration from the Government to carry its mandate of decentralizing its functions to the grassroots levels through opening up of regional offices countrywide.
His sentiments were echoed by the Chief Executive of the authority Eng.Philip J Olum who said that the allocation from the government kitty towards its operation cannot sustain the huge mandate bestowed upon it, “we have a very clear and elaborate programme that is geared towards decentralizing the water resource management throughout the country but we are slowed down by the inadequate finances” Said Eng.Olum.
The report states that the protection of water resources in Kenya remains a major challenge to WARMA arising from the cross cutting nature and the complexity of causes which are categorized as point and non-point sources, hence the need for adequate financial resources.
Ends.
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