Makueni County Water Policy.

This Water Policy provides for reviewing the water sector situation in the County, and for developing a framework to improve the sector’s service delivery and realign it with constitutional provisions as well as to ensure adaptability to meet the needs of a changing environment. The implementation of this Policy provides for the realisation of the human right to water and sanitation and for improving the following activities in the county: water resource management; water harvesting and storage; urban and rural water and sanitation services; use water for agriculture purposes; water sector education, training, and research. The Policy aims to develop strategies and measures to resolve challenges facing citizens, such as climate change and its impacts on water sector. Specific objectives of the Policy are: development of technical capacity and mobilisation of financial resources; promotion of effective coordination of the water sector with other sectors; strengthening sustainable water resource management in the county through enforcement and compliance of environmental policies and regulations; increasing delivery of water and sanitation services in the county. The Policy is inspired by the following principles: sustainability; integrated planning and management; respect for human rights; equity and inclusivity; polluter pays principle; consumer protection; public participation and stakeholder consultation.
This Policy covers the following matters: systematic planning, management, and equitable distribution of water and related resources to maximise economic and social welfare; water harvesting and storage to ensure water security for all; urban water and sewerage services to strengthen the provision of urban water supply and sewerage services; improving access to safe water, sanitation and ensuring proper governance of rural water supply and environmental management and protection; use of water for agricultural, environmental, forestry, wildlife purposes to achieve sustainable land and improve agricultural production; water for industry & trade; water sector training and research to enhance human and technical capacity in the water sector; building a strong framework to guide countywide investment planning; water related disaster management to establish systems and models that ensure effective and efficient pre and post disaster management; mainstreaming emerging and crosscutting issues such as gender, climate change, disputes, diseases, youth and children issues.