Kenya’s ASAL’s occupy more than 80% of the country’s landmass and are home to 10 million people. The inhabitants are predominantly (agro-) pastoralists (70%), living in a region with the lowest development indicators in Kenya and with over 60% living in poverty. Negative impacts on pastoralist livelihoods and production systems include marginalization by a centralized state (before the introduction of devolved system of governance in 2013), the lack of investments in education and infrastructure for socio-economic development especially in water and rangelands, and recurrent droughts increasing in number and severity due to climate change. Between 2013 to 2015 SDC supported Northern Kenya’s pastoralists through the Water for Livestock Project which improved the access of livestock to water and better managed rangeland. Building on the success and lessons learnt of the project, a major project reorientation was done that resulted in the Kenya Resilient Arid Lands Partnerships Programme for Integrated Development (Kenya-RAPID) - a joint longer term and multi-partnership development programme with the private sector, the Millennium Water Alliance, Aqua for All, and USAID. [1]

[1]The Water for Livestock Project was implemented by the HA and funded through additional credit 0.5% GDP in 2013-15. The continuation of under the name Kenya-RAPID is financed by the South Cooperation. To refine the intervention approach towards a more sustainable and longer term development approach, an inception phase was conducted in the frame of an opening credit of an entry proposal (see annexe : Minutes Opcom EZA 2012 and Opcom EZA July 2015)

To contribute towards more sustainable and resilient livelihoods for (agro-) pastoralists in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) of Northern Kenya.

• Around 435’000 beneficiaries (both pastoralists and urban dwellers) will benefit from improved WASH services (350,000 as a direct result of the cumulative (total) project investments and an estimated 75’000 indirectly through the private sector and Public-Private Partnerships service delivery models to be introduced.
• The average water access rate in the five counties is expected to rise from 37% to 50%.
• 0.75-1 million tropical livestock units (TLU)[1] are expected to benefit from improved rangelands management.
• County governments will benefit from capacity building in policy development, service delivery, and water and rangeland management.

[1] TLU is standard livestock unit used to arrive at the calculation of the premium in livestock insurance; one cow is regarded as one TLU while one camel is calculated as 1.4 TLU, and one goat/sheep is one tenth (0.1) of a TLU.

• A responsive and accountable governance framework is operational at county government level to ensure sustainable access to water and pasture.
• Replicable and scalable business models for sustainable WASH and livestock service delivery have been developed and operationalized.
• Communities have increased access to sustainable WASH services and improved rangeland management.

Principaux résultats attendus:  

• County governance/capacities and policy framework in the WASH and the livestock sector strengthened through the development of relevant legislative policies and training of key staff and stakeholders including community members.
• Financially viable public, private, and/or PPP models for WASH and livestock service delivery tested and scaled up in the project area.
• Water infrastructure and management systems for livestock, domestic use and for other productive activities put in place through construction of new water points and rehabilitation of existing ones.
• Rangelands and natural resources management improved through community trainings and community groups’ formation.

Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

• Water infrastructure and structures for water management were put in place (construction of 17 sub-surface dams with 20 hydrodynamic wells to store water in dry river-beds).
• The access of livestock to water during the dry period was extended for several months. However, community ownership to sustainably manage the rangelands and the new water structure was weak.
• During the inception phase of Kenya-RAPID several studies were completed to refine the intervention approach and monitoring framework. A project structure integrated in the county government was put in place and first activities were initiated to improve water access such as the rehabilitation of boreholes and animal watering points construction (quickwin). 

USAID, Aqua for All, IBM, Sweetsense, Acacia Water, Coca-Cola Foundation, Davis and Shirtliff, and Vitol Foundation.

SDC IGAD-FAO Resilience Programme, SDC Natural Resource Management Programme in Borena - Ethiopia, Kenya Federal Ministries of Water, Health, Livestock/Agriculture, National Drought Management Authority,  USAID funded projects such as REGAL-IR, RAGAL-AG, KIWASH, AHADI.

Phase 1 01.08.2015 - 31.05.2021   (Active)