Former President Kibaki Named UNESCO Special Envoy for Water in Africa

Kenya’s former President Mwai Kibaki was on 5th April 2016 appointed as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Special Envoy for water in Africa.

“I humbly assume the role of UNESCO Special Envoy for Water in Africa, an honour more Kenya’s and indeed Africa’s than mine as an individual’’ He stated in his acceptance speech which was read by the Water Cabinet Secretary Hon. Eugene Wamalwa who represented the former president.

In his new appointment Kibaki’s strategy will be to advocate for water conservation through rain water harvesting and recycling.

According to Leiden African Studies center Report of 2012, by 2025, more than 50 per cent of the continent will suffer a severe water shortage, thereby exposing 230 million people to water scarcity and a further 460 million to water stress. Not much rainwater is being conserved and hardly any meaning recycling of water takes place in Africa. Yet the need to boost water resources cannot be gainsaid.

Last year in Turkana Country good news on the water problem came when aquifer was discovered which was estimated to have a potential to grow Kenya’s water reserves by about 10 percent for the next 70 years.

In his Speech the former president noted that Kenya is at forefront in promoting water cooperation with other countries under the Nile Basin Initiative. The Initiative recognizes the need to equitably share the Nile Basin water resources as a basis for promoting cooperation among the riparian states, leading to sustainable management of waters resources of the Nile Basin.

The former President receives the appointment on account of the water reforms he undertook in Kenya while in office.

“Reforms that saw separation of water resource management and water services and the putting in place of the Water Act of 2002.It’s because of this that we are getting the honour of having the former President as a water ambassador,” Wamalwa Stated.

Other African personalities who have been honored by UNESCO are former South African President Nelson Mandela and famous Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka among others.

Article by Amina Mbuthia.