Photo: Queen Asali / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Kenya requires about KSh1.6 trillion to build the water-harvesting infrastructure needed to strengthen household supply and irrigation, Water Principal Secretary Julius Korir has said.
A major financing gap
Korir said the national budget can cover only 20 per cent of the estimated cost, leaving an approximate KSh1.3 trillion gap. The government is therefore pursuing public-private partnerships to speed up investment in dams and other storage systems.
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Speaking at the close of the 17th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security, Korir said reliable water access is inseparable from food production, nutrition, public health and sanitation.
He said two prospective partnership projects are focused on irrigation provision in the Bura and Galana areas. The government hopes to conclude some deals soon, though it did not give a timetable or disclose prospective private partners.
Dams and long-term plans
Korir said the Thwake and Mwache dams, supported by the African Development Bank and World Bank respectively, are nearing completion. He also pointed to talks with Denmark’s development partner Danida over a proposed dam in Kiambu County.
The government has identified 50 mega-dams for potential development and expects the proposed National Infrastructure Fund to become another source of finance for water projects.
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Kenya’s Water Ministry has previously said that expanding harvesting and storage is vital to climate resilience. Official planning documents note that the country receives substantial rainfall overall but has limited storage capacity, leaving communities and farmers exposed when droughts interrupt supplies.
Why the investment matters
For Kenya’s rural and low-income households, the funding question reaches far beyond construction contracts. Water insecurity can limit harvests, push up food prices, reduce hygiene and make communities more vulnerable during drought and flooding.
Health Cabinet Secretary Adan Duale, in remarks delivered on his behalf at the forum, said unsafe water and weak sanitation increase the risk of diarrhoeal illness and other infections. He argued that water, nutrition, agriculture and health investments must be planned together.
The announcement also underlines a wider challenge across African countries: climate adaptation requires major infrastructure spending while public budgets remain constrained. Kenya’s approach will depend on whether private finance can be mobilised without making essential water services less affordable or weakening public oversight.
The next test
The immediate test is whether the proposed partnerships move from planning to financial close, and whether projects are delivered transparently and with meaningful benefits for communities facing water stress.
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Korir’s estimate sets out the scale of the task: better water storage is now being positioned as core national infrastructure for food security, livelihoods and public health, rather than a stand-alone water-sector ambition.