The Departmental Committee on Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation has instructed the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation to halt plans for new projects in the 2026/27 financial year and instead concentrate on completing ongoing and stalled works.
The directive came during a 2026 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) briefing held at Parliament Buildings, where lawmakers stressed that resource limitations should guide project planning.
Committee Chairperson MP Kangogo Bowen said ministries must avoid overextending their budgets, arguing that launching new projects while existing works remain incomplete is impractical.
“You cannot fund projects that outstrip your available resources. Bringing in new initiatives while claiming resource shortages is unacceptable,” Hon. Bowen said, underscoring the need for disciplined expenditure.
The committee’s firm stance followed the ministry’s request for additional funding, part of which was intended to support new projects. Appearing before the committee, Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa was accompanied by Principal Secretaries for Water and Sanitation, Julius Korir, and Irrigation, Ephantus Kimotho, to defend their budgetary requirements.
Korir explained that the State Department for Water and Sanitation requires Sh120.1 billion, far above the proposed BPS ceiling of Sh56.8 billion. He argued that the additional funding would allow the department to expand access to clean and safe water nationwide and complete critical ongoing projects.
Meanwhile, CPA Ephantus Kimotho said the State Department for Irrigation needs an extra Sh20.5 billion beyond the proposed Sh943 million allocation.
He warned that insufficient funds would delay ongoing initiatives, stall projects, and lead to pending bills that could burden the government in future financial cycles.
CS Mugaa further highlighted that climate change has severely affected rain-fed agriculture, making irrigation development a crucial and sustainable solution for enhancing food security.
He urged the committee to consider raising budget ceilings for both state departments, emphasizing that increased allocations would strengthen the ministry’s ability to deliver services, fund ongoing projects, and expand programs to meet the growing demands of Kenyans.
The committee’s position reflects broader parliamentary concerns about managing limited public resources efficiently while ensuring completion of ongoing development works. Lawmakers noted that prioritizing unfinished projects is essential to avoid wastage, pending liabilities, and underperformance in critical water and irrigation sectors.
