Water Management In Kenya: How Perennial Water Problems Can Be Handled To Address Conflicts And Its Sustainability

Abstract

The present water management policies can be traced back to the National Water Master plan of 1974. The primary aim of the plan was to ensure availability of portable water at reasonable distance to all households by the year 2 000 (Sessional paper No. 1 of 1999). From the several developments have taken place in the w ater sector including, the upgrading established of the Department (DWD), the establishe d of the National Water Conservation and pipeline corporation (NWCPC) IN 1988,the adopti on of the National Water policy by parliament as a Sessional paper No. 1 of 1999 and e nactment of the Water Act of 2002, among others. The Water Act 2002, in turn has led to the establis hed of a National framework currently being used to manage water in Kenya. The Water Act recognises regional diversities in management of water. For example, the country has b een divided into different Water Resource Management Associations ( WRMA). The Act introduced comprehensive and in many ways r adical changes in the way water is managed in the country.