Africa is the second driest continent in the world after Australia. Kenya has its fair share of dry lands, which are either arid or semi-arid totaling to well over 70% of Kenya’s land mass. The GoK has several developed legislative and policy guidelines to ensure access to water for all the citizens. These include the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Water Act 2016, the Medium Term Plan 2012 and National Water

Services Strategy (NWSS) 2015.The goal of these policy documents is to ensure sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation to all Kenyans.

Article 43 of the Constitution of 2010 encapsulates access to water as a constitutional right. The constitutional obligation towards realization of this right is embodied in Article 21, which requires government to take steps to progressively realize this right. Articles 6, 174, 175 and 176 create a system of devolved government with a two-tier system of government comprising of the national and county government. The responsibility to manage water resources is retained by national government, but the responsibility for provision of water supply and sanitation services is vested on county governments. The ‘public investment’ function is the responsibility of national government while the county government is responsible for ‘public works’.

These policy documents augment and actuate investment in water infrastructure, see an increase in the number of people connected to the water grid in both urban and rural settings and enhance water management and distribution by increasing access to safe water to 72% and 59% in urban and rural areas respectively and to effect a reduction to reduce Non Revenue Water to about 30% besides increasing access to safe sanitation to 70% and overall prosperity of the water sector.

The TAWWDA Strategic Plan for the year 2017/2018-2022/2023 articulates how the Agency’s activities are aligned to the GoK’s strategic plans in the water and sewerage sector. It is our roadmap to actualizing our promise to be responsively provide affordable and easily accessible water and sewerage infrastructure in Kajiado, Kitui, Machakos and Makueni counties

I take this opportunity to thank the TAWWDA Directors for their support to my team and I in the process of developing and actualizing this strategy. 

Thank you and God bless you.

Fredrick Tito Mwamati (P.Eng.Tech) 

 Chief Executive Officer

Tanathi Water Works Development Agency