Experts warn over plan to slash protection of water towers budget

Queens Fall inside the Aberdare national Park. Experts say reduction of budget will distabilise the Government's plan to rehabilitate 500 hectares in the country's water towers in the current fiscal year. Photo: Mose Sammy/Standard

The National Treasury's proposal to cut the budget for protection of water towers will expose at least 120 acres of public land to possible grabbing.

Further, the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) says in its report on the supplementary budget, that the proposed reduction in the budget of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources will distabilise the Government's plan to rehabilitate 500 hectares in the country's water towers in the current fiscal year.

With the budget cut, PBO says, only 450 acres can be rehabilitated in the current financial year.

Kenya has five water towers (sources of water for the rest of the country) in Mau, Aberdares, Mt Elgon, Cherangany and Ewaso Ngiro.

The PBO, which is a team of economists and tax experts in Parliament, also noted that the reduction of Sh397 million for roads at the Kenya Wildlife Service and Sh270 million for purchase of specialised plant equipment and machinery for the meteorological department would push up pending bills.

"These reductions are likely to escalate the issue of pending bills at the close of the financial year at the affected spending agencies due to commitments that may have been made as per the targets set," they said.