How Kenya is turning water into a tool for peace

Kenya has unveiled a new policy framework that directly ties natural resource planning, particularly water management, to peace and security, marking a major shift in how the country approaches conflict prevention and environmental governance.

The new approach, announced during the International Conference on Water, Peace and Security, seeks to integrate conflict-sensitive natural resource management into both national and local development planning.

Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Dr. Raymond Omollo said the strategy represents Kenya’s new peacebuilding architecture, one that ensures resource use, particularly within the water sector, is guided by inclusion and early risk assessment.

“We are integrating conflict-sensitive approaches to natural resource management, and this is Kenya's new peacebuilding architecture that now guides our national policy on peacebuilding and conflict management,” Dr Omollo said.

It means that within the water sector, we deliberately assess and mitigate the potential for resource competition to spark disputes by involving all stakeholders.

Turning policy into action

Dr Omollo outlined five key initiatives driving the government’s approach, led by the National Climate Change Security Response Program, a multi-agency effort that addresses the root causes of environmental and resource-based conflicts, such as drought, food insecurity, and water scarcity.

Among these grassroots efforts is the Chiefs’ Climate Action Day, where over 4,000 chiefs and communities across Kenya gather on the first Friday of each month to plant trees and restore degraded ecosystems.

“This soft approach and grassroots initiative are supporting our national goal of growing 15 billion trees by 2032,” Dr Omollo said, noting that millions of seedlings have already been planted nationwide.

Kenya’s model also relies heavily on data-driven decision-making, combining information on water availability, weather forecasts, and resource use mapping to enhance early warning systems that can detect potential tensions before they escalate into violence.

“By improving data integration into our conflict early warning models, authorities and local peace committees can anticipate and de-escalate potential water-related conflicts before tensions actually turn violent,” he added.

Strengthening coordination and regional cooperation

The PS highlighted increasing collaboration between ministries of Water, Environment, Agriculture, and Security, including joint task forces and shared programs. 

The Water Police Unit, for instance, now plays a key role in safeguarding critical water infrastructure amid Kenya’s ongoing dam construction projects aimed at tackling water scarcity and boosting agricultural productivity.

Regionally, Kenya continues to champion transboundary water cooperation through bilateral commissions and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with notable progress in the Lake Turkana Basin, shared with Ethiopia, and the Nile Basin Initiative.

“Local communities on both sides of Lake Turkana are engaged in joint peace dialogues and resource management projects,” Dr Omollo said.

Water as Africa’s new peace frontier

Former Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who also addressed the conference, stressed that water has become one of Africa’s most critical peace and security issues.

“Across Africa, water has become one of the defining tests of our governance, our resilience, and our shared humanity,” he said.

“Water insecurity, once a silent challenge, has become one of the greatest tests of our generation. Across our continent, the warning signs are unmistakable: rivers that once bound communities now divide them.”

Referencing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the resulting diplomatic strains between Ethiopia and Egypt, Nana urged African leaders to embrace dialogue over confrontation.

“Proper cooperation towards an amicable resolution on the Nile River dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia can reap immense benefits for the countries involved,” he said.

A shift toward peace through the environment

The convergence of messages from both leaders shows a growing consensus across Africa that water is not merely a development issue but a matter of peace and security.

Kenya’s evolving framework demonstrates how environmental management can be woven into national and regional security strategies. 

As climate change intensifies and populations grow, leaders like Dr Omollo and Nana warn that Africa’s long-term stability will depend on how effectively it manages its most vital and vulnerable resource, water.

“By improving data integration into our conflict early warning models, authorities and local peace committees can anticipate and de-escalate potential water-related conflicts before tensions actually turn violent,” he added.

Strengthening coordination and regional cooperation

The PS highlighted increasing collaboration between ministries of Water, Environment, Agriculture, and Security, including joint task forces and shared programs. 

The Water Police Unit, for instance, now plays a key role in safeguarding critical water infrastructure amid Kenya’s ongoing dam construction projects aimed at tackling water scarcity and boosting agricultural productivity.

Regionally, Kenya continues to champion transboundary water cooperation through bilateral commissions and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with notable progress in the Lake Turkana Basin, shared with Ethiopia, and the Nile Basin Initiative.

“Local communities on both sides of Lake Turkana are engaged in joint peace dialogues and resource management projects,” Dr Omollo said.

We acknowledge that ultimately, we share one ecosystem.

Water as Africa’s new peace frontier

Former Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who also addressed the conference, stressed that water has become one of Africa’s most critical peace and security issues.

“Across Africa, water has become one of the defining tests of our governance, our resilience, and our shared humanity,” he said.

“Water insecurity, once a silent challenge, has become one of the greatest tests of our generation. Across our continent, the warning signs are unmistakable: rivers that once bound communities now divide them.”

Referencing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the resulting diplomatic strains between Ethiopia and Egypt, Nana urged African leaders to embrace dialogue over confrontation.

“Proper cooperation towards an amicable resolution on the Nile River dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia can reap immense benefits for the countries involved,” he said.

A continental shift toward peace through the environment

The convergence of messages from both leaders shows a growing consensus across Africa that water is not merely a development issue but a matter of peace and security.

Kenya’s evolving framework demonstrates how environmental management can be woven into national and regional security strategies. 

As climate change intensifies and populations grow, leaders like Dr Omollo and Nana warn that Africa’s long-term stability will depend on how effectively it manages its most vital and vulnerable resource, water.