NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya is targeting an estimated USD 350 million investment over the next decade under a new long-term programme aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems and improving livelihoods across the Lake Victoria Basin.
Senior government officials endorsed the ambitious plan during a Principal Secretaries’ Strategic Breakfast Meeting held in Nairobi, positioning it as Kenya’s next flagship environmental and socio-economic intervention in the region.
Shift to Long-Term Investment Model
Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Festus K. Ng’eno, said the Multi-sectoral, Multiphase Programme for Ecosystem Stabilization and Socio-economic Development of the Lake Victoria Basin (rMPA) represents a strategic shift from short-term, time-bound projects to a sustained, programmatic investment approach.
“The rMPA marks Kenya’s next flagship intervention in the region,” Dr Ng’eno said, noting that the initiative will prioritize ecosystem restoration, climate resilience and inclusive economic growth.
The programme succeeds the earlier Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP I and II), which laid the groundwork for transboundary environmental management in the basin before concluding in 2017.
Kenya Targets USD 350 Million Investment in Lake Victoria Basin Restoration ProgrammeSenior government officials have endorsed a new long-term programme aimed at restoring ecosystems and boosting livelihoods in the Lake Victoria Basin, with Kenya targeting an estimated USD 350
Strong National Backing
Dr Ng’eno revealed that the National Treasury has earmarked approximately USD 100 million in the FY 2027/28 resource envelope to support the initial phase of implementation, a move seen as strong evidence of Kenya’s ownership and commitment to the programme.
The rMPA is being developed within a regional framework supported by the World Bank and coordinated through the Lake Victoria Basin Commission.
It is expected to be financed through concessional World Bank funding, Government of Kenya allocations, and complementary investments from development partners.
Focus on Accountability and Coordination
Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi underscored the need for accountability, strong inter-ministerial coordination, and close collaboration between national and county governments.
He stressed that these elements will be critical to ensuring the programme delivers measurable results and tangible benefits to communities within the basin.
“The programme must remain firmly focused on improving livelihoods and delivering practical benefits to the people of Kenya,” he said.
County-Centered Development
The initiative is designed to directly support county priorities across the basin, including:
- Watershed restoration
- Sanitation and waste management services
- Fisheries development
- Sustainable agriculture
- Green and blue job creation
It also seeks to address mounting environmental pressures such as pollution, ecosystem degradation, rapid urbanization and climate variability — factors that have increasingly threatened the ecological and economic stability of the Lake Victoria region.
High-Level Participation
The meeting brought together representatives from the World Bank, senior officials from the Environment and Forestry ministries, and delegates from the Council of Governors, alongside representatives from the East African Community, Blue Economy, and Gender ministries.
If successfully implemented, the rMPA could mark one of Kenya’s most significant long-term environmental investments, positioning the Lake Victoria Basin as a model for integrated ecosystem restoration and sustainable economic transformation in East Africa.
