Kenya Water Towers Agency (KWTA) is a State Corporation under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry established in 2012 through Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 27, Legal Notice No. 27 of 20th April 2012. The Agency is mandated to coordinate and oversee the protection, rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable management of all the critical water towers in Kenya. Water towers support socio-economic development, which is a major pillar of Vision 2030, specifically by supporting generation of electricity, industrial development, irrigation, agriculture, wildlife, tourism, and health as well as conservation of biodiversity, indigenous knowledge and research.

These water towers continue to face excessive pressure resulting from increased human population and associated demand for natural resources. This manifests in encroachment, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and land degradation. Additionally, Water towers face climate and human related threats including frequent droughts, floods, forest fires and settlements (both legal and illegal). As part of addressing these challenges, the Agency urges all Kenyans, government and Non-Governmental Organizations to grow trees targeting a minimum of sixty-five (65) trees per acre in public, community and private lands.

KENYA WATER TOWERS COORDINATION AND CONSERVATION BILL, 2019

DRAFT WATER TOWERS COORDINATION AND CONSERVATION POLICY

National Strategy for achieving and maintaining over 10 percent tree cover by 2022