KEWASIP Engages County Leaders in Landmark introductory meeting in Naivasha
The Kenya Watershed Services Improvement Project (KEWASIP) National Project Coordination Unit (NCPU) has convened a two-day county introductory meeting on 17th and 18th March, bringing together national implementing entities at the county level and County representatives of the 12 project counties.
The Kenya Watershed Services Improvement Project (KEWASIP) is a five-year initiative implemented by the State Department for Forestry in partnership with the World Bank. The Project became effective on 23rd December 2025 and aims to expand sustainable land and watershed management while improving the livelihoods of communities across twelve counties: Baringo, Marsabit, Isiolo, Samburu, Laikipia, Meru, Kitui, Tharaka Nithi, Tana River, Garissa, Makueni, and Kwale.
The County introductory meeting which is taking place at the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute, has drawn participation from key stakeholders including County Commissioners; Assistant Directors for Sub-Regional Coordination from the Water Resources Authority; County Wardens from the Kenya Wildlife Service; Assistant Regional Directors from the Kenya Forestry Research Institute; County Forest Conservators from the Kenya Forest Service; and County Directors from the National Environment Management Authority. The meeting comes at a critical time as the Project transitions into the implementation phase, providing an opportunity to brief stakeholders on planned activities and clarify their respective roles in implementation.
Opening the session, Secretary for Forest Development George Tarus emphasized that KEWASIP is anchored in the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy, which targets the restoration of 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes by 2032.
He noted that this aligns with the Government’s ambitious 15 Billion Trees Growing Initiative aimed at accelerating environmental conservation and climate action within key ecosystems including forests, water towers, agro-ecosystems, rangelands, wetlands, marine areas, and settled and infrastructure landscapes—marking a multisectoral integrated and integrated approach to ecosystem restoration and sustainable development.
Tarus reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to achieving Kenya’s environmental and climate goals through coordinated restoration efforts and strengthened collaboration between national and county governments.
Addressing participants, KEWASIP Project Coordinator Dr Winnie Musila outlined the project’s broad objectives, noting that KEWASIP will focus on improving watershed services by restoring degraded landscapes and ecosystems, while supporting climate-resilient and low-carbon development.
Stakeholders committed to strengthened synergy among national implementing entities at the county level, alongside active community engagement in the implementation of KEWASIP. The meeting successfully aligned and clarified the roles and set the stage for coordinated and effective implementation of the project across the 12 target counties.