Strategic Plan for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

This Strategic Plan (2005 – 2009) sets the strategic objectives that the Ministry of Water and Irrigation will pursue during a five-year period. It identifies the role of the Ministry in support of water, sanitation, and irrigation sector development. The strategic objectives are in line with the national development goals as articulated in the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (2003). They also seek to implement sector-wide strategies outlined in the Sessional Paper No. 1 of 1999 on National Policy on Water Resources Management and Development, and the Water Act (2002). To sustain this effort as well as redress the increasing degradation of water catchment areas, reduce unaccounted for water and increase coverage, a radical reform programme in the water and sanitation sector is in the process of being implemented. This reform is driven by the National Policy on Water Resources Management and Development (1999), National Water Resources Management Strategy of 2003, the draft National Water Services Strategy (2003) and the Draft Zero Investment Plan (2003). The Water Act of 2002 creates the legal framework for the implementation of these policies.
The first chapter is introductory. The second chapter gives an overview of the Ministry’s past and progress to the present. The chapter also examines the process by which this plan has developed. The chapter that follows undertakes a situational analysis of the ministry presenting an overview of the Ministry, performance review, Ministry’s opportunities and challenges, core functions and policy priorities of the Ministry. The third chapter, the core of the strategic plan, presents the vision, mission and strategic issues and options in key areas of service delivery for the Ministry, presenting these in line with the core functions. The fourth chapter shows how the strategy will be implemented, examining the institutional framework, organizational structure, and human resource management and development. Of critical importance is the financial resources requirement and mobilisation in relation to the cost of implementing the strategic plan. The last chapter outlines how the strategic plan will be monitored and evaluated. An action plan in the form of an implementation matrix showing the steps that the ministry will take to implement the various strategies is also outlined in this Plan.
Institutional development is key to policy implementation. The Ministry will therefore be restructured for effective service delivery. Research and regulatory institutions in the Ministry will be reformed and strengthened to play their assigned mandate. An important approach will be to strengthen inter-ministerial co-ordination of sector related development roles; and to deliberately cultivate the involvement of the private sector and other stakeholder institutions in policy implementation. Cross-cutting themes addressed in the Strategic Plan include measures to combat the HIV / AIDS pandemic; the integration of anti-corruption prevention activities in the Ministry; and the mainstreaming of management and access to water resources information in the sector.
Priorities addressed include structural reforms to make water and sanitation services autonomous, mobilization of investment for the construction and rehabilitation of the water and sanitation network and the involvement of communities and the private sector in expanding services to the urban and rural communities. The ministry is also considering introducing pollution control mechanisms as well as constantly reviewing water abstraction and disposal lice. The Ministry will regulate and provide strategic leadership through seven Water Service Boards. In all regions, the water service providers will provide and manage appropriate technical staff. At the national level, the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) and the Water Services Regulatory Board (WSRB) will be responsible for the management of water resources as well as provide regulatory guidance. Though not described in this diagram, five support departments (Administration, Personnel, Finance, Accounts, Procurement, Planning and Human Resource Management) as well as the Directorate of Irrigation, Drainage and Land Reclamation will report directly to the Permanent Secretary
A key policy priority is the finalization of the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) development investment plan. Other policy priorities of the ministry include: a) Finalization of the Water and Irrigation Masterplan; b) Full Operationalisation of the Water Act 2002 and Review of its Deficiencies; c) Renegotiate all International Waters Treaties; d) Protection of Water Catchment Areas; e) Policy on Management Information Systems (MIS). Strategic objectives are (a) Accelerating the implementation of water sector reforms; (b) Improving the sustainable management of water resources; (c) Improving the provision of water and sewerage services; (d) Improving utilization of land through irrigation and land reclamation; (e) Strengthening institutions in the Ministry and the water sector; (f) Mobilizing resources and promoting efficiency in their utilization; (g) Improving the management and access to water resources information.