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

A speech delivered by Mr. John Rao Nyaoro on behalf of Kenya's Minister of Water and Irrigation at a 2009 workshop in Mombasa. The address discusses the impacts of climate change on water resources in Kenya and Africa, the resulting internal and transboundary water conflicts, and Kenya's policy responses and diplomatic positions regarding the Nile Basin.

• Climate change is causing severe water instability in Kenya, characterized by erratic rainfall and extreme droughts. Some regions have missed two to three consecutive rainy seasons, while the Lake Victoria basin has experienced enhanced short rains. The Rift Valley, Central, Eastern, and North Eastern regions have faced the worst drought in 40 years.
• Kenya is implementing a water storage policy to increase per capita water storage from 4.5 cubic metres to 25 cubic metres by 2030, aligned with the country's vision 2030. This is intended to reduce reliance on rainfed agriculture through inter-basin and intra-basin transfers.
• Water scarcity in Kenya has led to conflicts between different user groups, specifically between pastoralists in downstream plains and agrarian communities in upper reaches. The government uses the Water Act 2002, the EMCA Act of 1999, and local Water Resources Users Associations to manage these disputes.
• Kenya views historical Nile agreements, such as the 1929 agreement between Egypt and the United Kingdom, as protecting downstream developed states at the expense of underdeveloped upstream states. Kenya advocates for the swift conclusion of the Nile Basin collaborative framework and seeks cooperation from Sudan and Egypt on the conservation of the Lake Victoria Basin catchment.
• Environmental degradation in Kenya is driven by population growth, leading to the encroachment of water catchment areas for firewood, agriculture, and logging. Water pollution from raw sewers in urban informal settlements and industrial effluents (tannery, paper, and coffee pulping) further threatens freshwater resources.

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} }