Ten years on: Enabling the success of locally-led water investments in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties

A policy brief evaluating the sustainability of water infrastructure projects funded by the County Climate Change Fund (CCCF) in five Kenyan arid and semi-arid counties. While initially successful, many investments saw a decline in functionality by 2023 due to poor maintenance budgets, insufficient climate data for siting, and governance gaps. The brief recommends dedicated O&M budgets, the integration of Indigenous knowledge, and a landscape-based approach to water management.

• The County Climate Change Fund (CCCF) mechanism, developed in 2011, facilitates locally-led climate investments by allowing local governments to allocate funding and access finance from international organisations, philanthropists, multilateral development banks, and the private sector. It is governed by county-level legal frameworks and aligns with Kenya’s National Adaptation Plan and Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Climate Agreement.
• A longitudinal study conducted in September 2023 revealed that the functionality of water infrastructure investments established between 2012 and 2018 had declined in all studied counties except Garissa when compared to a 2019 study. The study found that periodic disuse and disrepair often led to vandalism, which hindered the sustainability of the projects.
• Governance challenges significantly impacted project sustainability, including low transparency and accountability among local implementation committees and insufficient oversight from county-level institutions and government departments after the project phase ended. There was also a lack of clearly defined roles and responsibilities between communities and the county government, leading to misunderstandings over ownership and maintenance.
• The absence of a dedicated budget for operations and maintenance (O&M) at the county level under the CCCF mechanism made it difficult for communities to access resources for routine infrastructure upkeep. Additionally, a lack of sufficient climate data and information led to the incorrect siting of several investments, resulting in non-functional assets or the need for frequent repairs.
• To improve the success of future water investments, the document recommends integrating Indigenous and traditional knowledge—such as the Detha system—alongside accurate climate information during the design and siting process. It also suggests adopting a landscape approach (watershed or catchment models) to address issues like frequent siltation, which may require collaboration across wards, counties, or countries.

APA

Osumba, J., Jebiwott, A., Karaho, E., du Toit, M., & Redda, R. (2024). Ten years on: Enabling the success of locally-led water investments in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/CDKN%20Policy%20Brief%20-%20Functionality%20study%20Kenya_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Osumba, Joab, Alice Jebiwott, Esperanza Karaho, Michelle du Toit, and Robi Redda. Ten years on: Enabling the success of locally-led water investments in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2024. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/CDKN%20Policy%20Brief%20-%20Functionality%20study%20Kenya_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Osumba |first1=Joab |last2=Jebiwott |first2=Alice |last3=Karaho |first3=Esperanza |last4=du Toit |first4=Michelle |last5=Redda |first5=Robi |title=Ten years on: Enabling the success of locally-led water investments in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=November 2024 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/CDKN%20Policy%20Brief%20-%20Functionality%20study%20Kenya_WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{osumba2024ten, author = {Osumba, Joab and Jebiwott, Alice and Karaho, Esperanza and du Toit, Michelle and Redda, Robi}, title = {{Ten years on: Enabling the success of locally-led water investments in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/CDKN%20Policy%20Brief%20-%20Functionality%20study%20Kenya_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }