By TCD TEAM
Kitui County is among 12 counties set to benefit from a major US$200 million (approximately KSh25.8 billion) landscape restoration programme aimed at rehabilitating degraded land, protecting water sources and strengthening communities’ resilience to climate change.
Kitui Deputy Governor Augustine Wambua Kanani represented Governor Dr Julius Malombe, EGH, during the official launch of the Kenya Watersheds Services Improvement Project (KEWASIP) on Monday, November 2, 2026.
The five-year programme is designed to promote sustainable management of Kenya’s watersheds while improving livelihoods in communities that depend on natural resources.
The initiative, developed by the State Department for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry in partnership with the World Bank, comes at a critical time when land degradation, declining forest cover and climate-related challenges continue to threaten environmental sustainability and community livelihoods across the country.
For Kitui, the programme presents an opportunity to strengthen ongoing efforts to conserve the environment, protect water catchment areas and improve access to reliable water resources. As a largely arid and semi-arid county, Kitui faces persistent challenges associated with water scarcity, land degradation and unpredictable rainfall, making landscape restoration particularly important.
KEWASIP will be implemented across five designated watershed focal areas covering 12 counties: Kitui, Garissa, Marsabit, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Makueni, Samburu, Baringo, Laikipia, Isiolo, Tana River and Kwale. The initiative seeks to promote sustainable land management practices while protecting ecosystems that support agriculture, livestock production and other economic activities.
The project is anchored on Kenya’s National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy 2023–2032, which targets the restoration and conservation of 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes and ecosystems by 2032. The strategy complements the government’s 15 Billion Trees Growing Initiative, which seeks to expand tree cover and strengthen the country’s environmental resilience.
Beyond planting trees, the programme is expected to support broader watershed management, biodiversity conservation and the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems. These interventions could help improve soil conservation, protect water sources and strengthen communities’ ability to withstand the effects of droughts, floods and other climate-related shocks.
The programme also places emphasis on improving livelihoods through sustainable management of natural resources. For communities in Kitui, successful implementation could create opportunities for local participation in restoration activities while supporting economic activities that depend on healthy land and reliable water supplies. The actual benefits will, however, depend on project implementation, resource allocation and community involvement.
County governments have been identified as key partners in translating the national restoration agenda into practical interventions. Through their devolved forestry functions and county development plans, they are expected to integrate landscape restoration into local priorities. The State Department for Forestry is also finalising Adopt-a-Forest Guidelines intended to strengthen forest conservation and sustainable forest management.
As implementation moves forward, attention will turn to how the programme’s resources and activities will be distributed across the participating counties and how communities will be involved in delivering measurable results. For Kitui, the success of KEWASIP will ultimately be judged by its impact on degraded landscapes, water security, biodiversity and the livelihoods of residents.
The initiative marks an important step in Kenya’s efforts to build a greener and more climate-resilient future. For Kitui and the other participating counties, the challenge now is to turn the ambitious restoration targets into tangible environmental improvements and lasting benefits for local communities.
