A high-level consultative meeting brought pomp and color to Naivasha as the Council of Governors (CoG) Water and Natural Resource Management Committee convened to address critical gaps and strategic priorities within the Kenya Water Sanitation and Hygiene

The occasion was graced by the Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, Eng. Eric Mugaa, alongside the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Water and Sanitation, Julius Korir. The forum brought together leaders, policymakers, and sector stakeholders from 19 participating counties to deliberate on structural financing, intergovernmental collaboration, and the strengthening of regulatory frameworks aimed at ensuring nationwide compliance and improved service delivery. A detailed presentation on the strategic pillars anchoring the KWASH Program was delivered by Eng. Samuel Alima, EBS. Following the presentation, the World Bank Task Team Leader, Ms. Pascline Ndung’u, underscored the urgency of institutionalizing accountability mechanisms at the grassroots level. She called for the establishment of EHS Risk Units across all the 19 counties to oversee environmental compliance and urged county governments to progressively increase budgetary allocations towards sanitation services. The afternoon session transitioned into an engaging plenary discussion moderated by Nandi governor on The regulatory agenda took center stage during a presentation by the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB), Richard Cheruiyot. The Ag. CEO outlined the current status of water resources across participating counties, highlighted emerging enforcement gaps, and proposed stringent measures to strengthen environmental regulatory compliance. The workshop concluded with intensive discussions focused on updating water sector financing models and refining the intergovernmental coordination framework to ensure seamless synergy between the national government and county governments in the delivery of water and sanitation services. Among the governors present were H.E. Joshua Irungu (Laikipia County), H.E. Simon Kachapin (West Pokot County), H.E. Andrew Mwadime (Taita Taveta County), H.E. Stephen Sang (Nandi County), and H.E. Irungu Kang’ata (Murang’a County), who reaffirmed their commitment to advancing sustainable water governance and sanitation reforms within their respective counties.