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WETLANDS INTERNATIONAL
For instance, 70 per cent of the boreholes drilled by the County have stalled. We believe this would not be the case had there been community inclusion and participation,” says Summit Chairman, Emmanuel Memusi. There is a multiplicity of players, both government and non-governmental, that are involved in water governance in Kajiado. The Summit believes WRM and WASH objectives will be better realised if WRUAs target key decision- makers, particularly within the Kajiado County. “Senior County staff get transferred too frequently, forcing the Summit to initiate fresh lobbying with each appointment. That is why targeting key decision-makers is more strategic,” says Summit member, Abigael Sein. As an umbrella organisation, the Summit aspires to work toward well protected and demarcated water sources and equitable sharing of clean water. This can only be achieved through better collaboration between WRUAs and all County WRM and WASH stakeholders. Penina Tombo, who is a member of the Summit, believes water governance would improve if more women were involved in decision-making. “Ultimately, it is women who manage the water and decide what to do with it,” she says.
Through the capacity building that Watershed equipped the WRUAs, there was marked interest by the community in the public forums organised by the County Government. Budget allocation for water development was crucial for the citizens as this is a water-scarce area. For the 2017/2018 total county budget, water and environment was allocated KES 381 million (4.66 per cent of total budget), KES 531 million (5.53 per cent of 2018/2019 budget) and KES 590 million (5.92 per cent of 2019/2020 budget).
Caleb Muinde, Statistician at Department of Finance, County Government of Kajiado
Pit latrine at Kimana Swamp
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