If we don’t control our catchment areas we will have serious problems in the future- WRA CEO

The Water Resources Authority WRA has launched a strategic plan that will focus on key areas including reliable water data, climate change mitigation and digitization of services.

The plan that runs from 2023-2027 will also seek to enforce water resources laws and regulations.

Speaking during the launch, Cabinet Secretary Ministry Water , Sanitation Eric Mugaa said the plan was a game changer since it will seek to address key issues revolving around climate change.

“ This plan comes at the right time and I must laud the management of WRA for drafting it. It encompasses some of the key challenges we are facing as far as water conservation is concerned since it will help plan early,’ he said.

Mugaa urged other agencies in the water sector to emulate WRA. Saying the agency has distinguished itself by being on the forefront as the best parastatal so far.

“ If we work in harmony, we can achieve a lot and WRA is an example that results in a good working culture,” he said.

On his part, WRA Board Chair Donald Murgor said the authority will be tight enforcing laws.

“ We are going to work closely with counties to ensure all laws have been followed to the latter. If we all did what we are supposed to do, we will be water secure,” he said.

On his part, CEO Mohammed Shurie said the plan was fully focused on improving water resources management in Kenya.

“If we don’t control our catchment areas we will have serious problems in the future. We need to work as partners to see how we can improve our water resources,” said Shurie.

Shurie further appealed to Kenyans to support on implementing the plan saying it will improve the water resources we have in Kenya.

“ We are appealing to Kenyans to be on the forefront in as far as improvement of water resources is concerned,” he said.

So far WRA has fully migrated to the E-citizen to enhance accessibility and efficiency.

“Our goal is to make it easier for citizens to access water-related services and streamline the process of obtaining permits and authorisations,” said Shurie.

As part of the transition, WRA has discontinued the use of previous payment methods such as M-Pesa paybills, with all payments now required to be made through the e-Citizen Platform.

This ensures a centralized and secure payment system for all transactions related to WRA services.

The services available through the e-Citizen Platform include the application for various permits and authorizations, renewal of permits, water use charges payment, and booking for laboratory water quality testing, among others.

Additionally, customers can also inquire about permit status and access water resource data through the platform.

The Water Resources Authority said they are committed to providing efficient and accessible services to all Kenyans, and the integration with the e-Citizen Platform is a significant step towards achieving that goal.

The move to digitise WRA services aligns with the Kenyan Government’s broader agenda of enhancing digitalisation across various sectors to improve service delivery and promote transparency.

The e-Citizen platform allows Kenyans to access government services such as the renewal of driving licenses, application of passports and business registration services.

In December 2022, the government announced that all payments for government services shall be made through the ecitizen portal.