The Council of Governors (CoG) and the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation have agreed to fast-track water projects and strengthen coordination between the national and county governments in a move expected to improve access to safe water and sanitation services across Kenya.
The agreement follows a meeting held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, between the Chairperson of the CoG Water, Forestry and Natural Resources Committee, H.E. Joshua Irungu, and representatives of the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation.
According to a statement posted on X on Tuesday by CoG, the meeting focused on removing coordination challenges that have affected the implementation of programmes in the water sector.
At the centre of the discussions were resolutions of the Intergovernmental Water Sector Steering Committee (WASCOM), which have now been formally signed, creating an agreed framework for the two levels of government to address priority issues.
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“The meeting considered the resolutions of the Intergovernmental Water Sector Steering Committee (WASCOM), which have now been formally signed, providing an agreed framework for addressing priority issues and strengthening intergovernmental coordination,” the statement said.
The new framework is expected to make it easier for national and county governments to make decisions, resolve emerging challenges and coordinate water projects without prolonged delays.
The statement said the two levels of government will now work more closely to accelerate implementation of projects and improve service delivery.
“Going forward, the two levels of government will work together to speed up decisions and projects in the water sector, resolve challenges faster and improve coordination,” it said.
The push for closer coordination comes as Kenya continues to invest in water infrastructure and sanitation programmes aimed at expanding access to essential services.
For counties, improved cooperation with the national government could help address administrative and implementation bottlenecks that have slowed some water programmes.
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The CoG and the Ministry have now placed greater emphasis on faster decision-making and joint action, with the success of the agreement likely to be judged by how quickly projects move from planning to implementation.
The ultimate goal, according to the statement, is to ensure more Kenyans have reliable access to safe water and sanitation services.
The latest development therefore shifts the focus from intergovernmental discussions to delivery, with counties and the national government expected to translate the WASCOM resolutions into faster action on the ground.
