Water security where governmental policies conflict with local practices: the roles of community water management systems in Ngaciuma-Kinyaritha, Kenya

Abstract

New institutions emanating from the water sector reforms are expected to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in the management of water resources, thus leading to enhance water security in all the catchment areas. For inclusion and ownership of their management programmes on the ground, community members are required to actively get involved in the planning and management processes. How would the existing Community Water Management Systems (CWMSs) be integrated in the legal and institutional frameworks guiding the development, supply, utilization and conservation of water resources under the jurisdiction of a Water Resource Users’ Association (WRUA)? This study seeks to unveil some demographic, economic, social and cultural aspects that should have been taken into consideration by the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) when drafting a Sub-Catchment Management Plan for Ngaciuma-Kinyaritha WRUA, which came into existence in 2006. The study mainly uses descriptive statistics and a Profit regression to derive significant parameters determining domestic water security in the Ngaciuma-Kinyaritha Catchment. Most of the results reveal that domestic water security in this catchment clearly relies on CWMSs through their catchment management practices and water supply by-laws and tools. There is thus a need for the new WRUA and WSPs to improve their collaboration with CWMSs in the future.