World Water Day Kenya 2025 was commemorated in Laikipia County with a strong call for collective efforts to conserve water sources, as scarcity continues to fuel conflicts within communities.
Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa led local leaders and stakeholders at Tigithi Secondary School, emphasizing the government’s commitment to enhancing water security and climate resilience through sustainable management.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day
He highlighted that water supply coverage in Kenya has increased from 56.2% to 73% over the past six years, yet it still falls short of United Nations standards. He also warned that Kenya’s freshwater availability remains significantly below the global benchmark of 1,000 cubic meters per capita annually and is expected to decline further by 2050.
To address this, the ministry is scaling up last-mile connectivity efforts to extend water access to 200,000 households annually. During his visit to Tigithi Ward, the CS launched Phase Two of the Tigithi-Humuka Water Project, implemented by the Tana Water Works Development Agency.
With this year’s theme, “Glacier Preservation,” Mugaa stressed the critical role of glaciers in global freshwater storage, as they hold three-quarters of the world’s freshwater. He warned that their rapid decline due to climate change threatens water availability, food security, and overall well-being, as they regulate river flow, hydroelectric power generation, irrigation, and water supply for humans, livestock, and wildlife.
He further noted that glaciers on Mt. Kenya, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and Mt. Ruwenzori have shrunk significantly and could disappear entirely in the next 15 years without urgent climate action. Since glaciers store around 70% of the world’s freshwater and influence global sea levels, their melting directly threatens coastal communities.
The CS underscored the importance of protecting glaciers as they sustain ecosystems, maintain biodiversity, and serve as critical climate change indicators. He highlighted Kenya’s initiative to plant and grow 15 billion trees by 2032 to boost forest cover to 30%, aiming to mitigate climate change and protect water sources.
Leading up to World Water Day Kenya 2025, the Water Resource Authority (WRA) carried out a tree-planting campaign to raise awareness of glacier preservation.
Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu and Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri reaffirmed their commitment to reducing the distance residents travel for water to less than two kilometers by 2027. They pledged to achieve this through borehole drilling, rainwater harvesting, and rehabilitating water infrastructure to meet the growing population’s needs.
