Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has directed all employees of the now-defunct Kenya Water Towers Agency (KWTA) to be absorbed into other sections of the ministry.
In a statement issued on Friday, December 13, Duale asserted that the state agency seized all its functions a month ago. This is the first time the government has publicly stated that the department tasked with overseeing and coordinating the protection, rehabilitation, conservation, and sustainable management of critical water towers has seized its functions.
According to Duale, KWTA stopped existing following last month's dissolution of its board through the re-deployment of the chairperson and directors to other stations in government.
“The dissolution of KWTA follows the expiry of the Executive Order upon which it was created (Gazette Notice No. 31 of 20th April 2012) over a year ago, and is part of the ongoing Cabinet-sanctioned rationalisation of state corporations with overlapping and/or duplicate mandates,” stated Duale in a message on X.
This decision has left many employees in limbo. While KWTA does not provide a specific number of employees, based on its organisational structure, KWTA appears to have a substantial workforce.
According to its website, the agency has key departments such as ecosystem research, planning, governance, and corporate services. They also maintain multiple regional offices across Kenya, including in Kitale, Eldoret, Narok, Kisumu, Mombasa, Kitui, Nyeri, and Marsabit.
However, Duale has offered a lifeline to the government employees, directing them to be redeployed within the ministry.
“All staff of KWTA will be deployed to the Ministry and its agencies based on their established competencies,” directed Duale.
Duale also directed that the two Principal Secretaries for Environment and Climate Change and Forestry accelerate the ongoing audit of KWTA's assets and liabilities.
In his statement, Duale revealed that the agency was axed since in the eyes of the government its mandate was overlapping with the mandates of institutions such as Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), and the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA).
The Kenya Water Towers Agency (KWTA) is a state corporation established under Legal Notice No. 27 of 2012.
Kenya's water towers include five major systems: Mau Forest Complex, Aberdare Range, Cherangani Hills, Mt Kenya, and Mt Elgon, among others.
