MKEWP adds a new partner in the Ewaso Basin.

In the beginning of the New Year, MKEWP entered into a new Partnership with CORDAID, the Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid, as a local implementing partner for the Partners for Resilience (PfR) program. The PfR program is an alliance of the Netherlands Red Cross (lead agency), CARE Netherlands, Cordaid, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, and Wetlands International.

Ms Zeituna Roba, Cordaid Program Manager and Partners for Resilience Country Coordinator briefing partcipants at a familiarization meeting among Cordaid, MKEWP and Ngare Ndare, Ngare Nything and Isiolo WRUAs at Kisima Centre, Meru County

An initial one year contract between CORDAID and MKEWP will see the partnership support the operationalization of the newly established EMU SACCO and implement the WRUA agency model.

WRUA Agency – “Commercializing WRUA Services”

Within the basin, WRUAs serve as a critical bridge between the Water Resources Authority (WRA) and water users at sub catchment level who are critical to improved water resource management.

Most WRUAs (Water Resource User Associations) struggle to operate and address water resource issues within their sub catchments due to lack of capacity, resources, and funds to run their operations and activities. They provide few services as a result, especially when asked to provide value-added practices in support of water management.

MKEWP will pilot a WRUA agency model to address these shortcomings. The WRUA agency model is an arrangement between the WRA and a WRUA, in which the WRA pays the WRUA for specific services rendered. This role is envisaged in the Water Act 2016. WRUAs will provide services valuable to WRA and WRUA members. In return, WRA and WRUA members will pay WRUAs to finance their operations and professional/technical support. The WRA can do this because increased WRUA efficiency results in the more effective collection of water use fees and payments.

Cordaid will support MKEWP to build awareness on this model, build the capacity of WRUAs, lobby at County and National government for adoption, and provide the necessary support for implementation of the model in two (2) WRUAs.

UPDATE!!

The World Bank has again joined MKEWP with continued support to the Partnership for two years. The new Bank grant will support the expansion of the WRUA Agency Model to an additional 5 Water Resource User Associations, and assist these WRUAs along lines similar to the CORDAID work. The close collaboration between these two grants – CORDAID and World Bank, is expected to yield a model of WRUA financing and operations that can be embraced throughout the country