SPEECH BY DIRECTOR OF WATER RESOURCES, MR. JOHN RAO NYAORO, ON BEHALF OF THE HON. MINISTER OF WATER AND IRRIGATION, HON. CHARITY KALUKI NGILU DURING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRANSBOUNDARY WATER CONFLICT IN AFRICA

The speech highlights the devastating effects of climate change on water resources in Kenya and Africa, noting increased droughts and water rationing. It discusses the drivers of water scarcity, including population growth and pollution, and addresses the resulting conflicts between pastoralists and agrarian communities. Regarding transboundary waters, the speaker emphasizes the need for a fair framework in the Nile Basin, criticizing colonial-era agreements and calling for cooperation between upstream and downstream states to ensure sustainable development.

• Climate change is causing erratic rainfall patterns in Kenya, leading to severe droughts in the Rift Valley, Central, Eastern, and North Eastern regions—the worst in 40 years—while the Lake Victoria basin experiences enhanced short rains.
• Kenya is implementing a water storage policy to increase per capita water storage from 4.5 cubic metres to 25 cubic metres by 2030 to reduce reliance on rainfed agriculture.
• Water scarcity in Kenya has led to conflicts between downstream pastoralists and upstream agrarian communities, necessitating government intervention and the use of local Water Resources Users Associations as arbitrators.
• Kenya views colonial-era agreements on the Nile, such as the 1929 agreement, as protecting the interests of developed downstream states at the expense of underdeveloped upstream states.
• Kenya advocates for the swift conclusion and operationalization of the Nile Basin collaborative framework to protect the Lake Victoria Basin and the livelihoods of 15 million people on the Kenyan side of the basin.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). SPEECH BY DIRECTOR OF WATER RESOURCES, MR. JOHN RAO NYAORO, ON BEHALF OF THE HON. MINISTER OF WATER AND IRRIGATION, HON. CHARITY KALUKI NGILU DURING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRANSBOUNDARY WATER CONFLICT IN AFRICA. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/29SEP09KEYNOTE.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. SPEECH BY DIRECTOR OF WATER RESOURCES, MR. JOHN RAO NYAORO, ON BEHALF OF THE HON. MINISTER OF WATER AND IRRIGATION, HON. CHARITY KALUKI NGILU DURING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRANSBOUNDARY WATER CONFLICT IN AFRICA. 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/29SEP09KEYNOTE.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=SPEECH BY DIRECTOR OF WATER RESOURCES, MR. JOHN RAO NYAORO, ON BEHALF OF THE HON. MINISTER OF WATER AND IRRIGATION, HON. CHARITY KALUKI NGILU DURING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRANSBOUNDARY WATER CONFLICT IN AFRICA |date=29 September 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/29SEP09KEYNOTE.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforsecuritystudies2009speech, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{SPEECH BY DIRECTOR OF WATER RESOURCES, MR. JOHN RAO NYAORO, ON BEHALF OF THE HON. MINISTER OF WATER AND IRRIGATION, HON. CHARITY KALUKI NGILU DURING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRANSBOUNDARY WATER CONFLICT IN AFRICA}}, publisher = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/29SEP09KEYNOTE.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }