Kenya is closely monitoring the growing threat of water scarcity and climate-induced conflicts within its borders and across the Horn of Africa, Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo has said.
Speaking during the opening of the International Conference on Water, Peace and Security at Ole Sereni, Nairobi, Omollo warned that competition over water and grazing resources is heightening tensions in vulnerable regions.
“Water insecurity is no longer just a development challenge—it has become a peace and stability issue that requires urgent and coordinated action,” he said.
The PS cited the Karamoja Cluster along the Kenya–Uganda border as one of the hotspots where competition over cross-border water points and pasture has fuelled cycles of pastoral conflict. He also noted ongoing disputes over fishing zones and grazing lands along the South Sudan border, warning that such conflicts could undermine fragile peace efforts.
Omollo further referenced the Lake Chad Basin in West and Central Africa, where the depletion of shared water resources has intensified livelihood competition and triggered regional instability. “Disruptions to fisheries, farming, and pastoralism around Lake Chad have put severe strains on inter-community relations, illustrating how water insecurity can exacerbate broader insecurity,” he explained.
To address these threats, the government has launched several initiatives aimed at transforming water from a source of conflict into a tool for cooperation. These include the National Climate Change Security Response Programme, monthly Chiefs’ Climate Action Day, conflict-sensitive natural resource management, and enhanced community-based early warning systems.
Omollo added that Kenya is also strengthening cross-border water diplomacy with neighbouring countries to promote shared resource management and prevent escalation of conflicts.
“We have put in place mechanisms to monitor these conflicts,” he said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring that water scarcity does not destabilize peace and security in the region.
