Assessing the effectiveness of locally-led public good climate investments in water infrastructure in Kitui County

A 2023 study of 12 water infrastructure investments in Kitui County, Kenya, found that 59% were functional or partially functional, while 16% were non-functional due to lack of maintenance. The report highlights that most investments failed to provide adequate water during dry seasons and suffered from insufficient funding for operations and maintenance. While local knowledge was integrated into planning via Ward Climate Change Planning Committees, the study recommends better integration of hydrogeological data, landscape restoration, and institutionalised project audits to ensure long-term sustainability.

• As of October 2023, 59% of the 12 assessed water investments were either functional or partially functional and were considered sustainable for livestock and domestic use.
• Approximately 16% of the investments were non-functional, primarily due to a lack of maintenance and repairs. For instance, the Mutethya Nzaini Earth Dam, which was partially functional in 2019, became non-functional by 2023 because of a breached embankment wall, vandalism of the fence, and poor spillway design.
• Most water infrastructure investments failed to provide sufficient water during the dry season, often only remaining adequate during and shortly after the rainy season.
• Long-term operations and maintenance were hindered by insufficient funding, a lack of cost-recovery mechanisms, and the unavailability of spare parts locally.
• Local communities were involved in the planning and execution of investments through community forums and public barazas led by Ward Climate Change Planning Committees, which helped identify and prioritise sites.
• Technical failures occurred because design stages often ignored climate and hydrogeological information, as well as landscape restoration. For example, earth dams lacked upstream check dams to control siltation, and the Kyandeve Earth Dam was sited too close to another dam, affecting water flow.

APA

Jebiwott, A., Osumba, J., Orindi, V., Ododa, K., Magoma, I., Mwendwa, S., Muendo, C., Kimwilu, F., Karaho, E., Redda, R., & April, A. (2024). Assessing the effectiveness of locally-led public good climate investments in water infrastructure in Kitui County. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/Technical%20Brief_Kitui_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Jebiwott, Alice, Joab Osumba, Victor Orindi, Kennedy Ododa, Ivy Magoma, Sam Mwendwa, Caleb Muendo, et al. Assessing the effectiveness of locally-led public good climate investments in water infrastructure in Kitui County. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2024. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/Technical%20Brief_Kitui_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{jebiwott2024assessing, author = {Jebiwott, Alice and Osumba, Joab and Orindi, Victor and Ododa, Kennedy and Magoma, Ivy and Mwendwa, Sam and Muendo, Caleb and Kimwilu, Fredrick and Karaho, Esperanza and Redda, Robi and April, Amanda}, title = {{Assessing the effectiveness of locally-led public good climate investments in water infrastructure in Kitui County}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2024}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/Technical%20Brief_Kitui_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }