Executive Order No. 1 of 2023 November 2023 on the organization of the Government of the Republic of Kenya created two State Departments in the Ministry of East Africa Community, ASALs and Regional Development, namely the State Department for East Africa Community and State Department for ASALs and Regional Development.

The SAGAs under the State Department for ASALs and RDAs include NDMA, KVDA, TARDA, LBDA, ENSDA, CDA, and ENNDA.

v  The National Drought Management Authority

The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) is a public body established by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) Act, 2016. It previously operated under the State Corporations Act (Cap 446) of the Laws of Kenya by Legal Notice Number 171 of November 24, 2011. The Act gives the NDMA the mandate to exercise overall coordination over all matters relating to drought risk management and to establish mechanisms, either on its own or with stakeholders, that will end drought emergencies in Kenya.

This series of short-term, project-based interventions were being carried out at a time when drought periods were becoming increasingly frequent and intense, directly affecting the household food security and livelihoods of more than ten million people. The government therefore recognised the need to strengthen the sustainability and quality of drought management in Kenya by establishing the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA).

The NDMA provides a platform for long-term planning and action, as well as a mechanism for solid coordination across Government and with all other stakeholders. The Authority has established offices in 23 ASAL counties considered vulnerable to drought.

Go to:website: https://ndma.go.ke

v  Kerio Valley Development Authority

Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) is one of the six Regional Development Authorities (RDAs) in Kenya, established by an Act of Parliament CAP 441 with a mandate to, in part, initiate, plan and develop resources along the Kerio River basin. The Kerio Valley Region covers the counties of West Pokot, Turkana, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, and part of Samburu and Nakuru Counties, with an estimated population of about 3 million people.

As part of its planning mandate, KVDA embarked on the preparation of an Integrated Regional Development Master Plan

(IRDMP) 2013-2033 that identifies resources in the region and provides a roadmap for optimal utilization, with a view to livelihoods improvement in the region. The IRDMP is aligned to the Kenya Vision 2030 and provides strategies for among others peace-building initiatives, irrigation-led agriculture, mineral exploration, value addition and conservation of water catchment areas such as Cherangany Hills Water Tower conservation.

Go to: website: https://kvda.go.ke

v  Tana River Development Authority

The Tana and Athi River Basins are one of the country’s most unique natural resources. The Basin has exceptional resource values that include; water, arable land, forests, wildlife, minerals among other natural resources. This presents an excellent opportunity for the country to advance socio-economic development by utilizing the natural resources within the river basins. In order to optimize the utilization, there was need to sustainably plan and develop the resources using an integrated approach. The Government therefore, in the mid 1970’s adopted a river-based development approach modeled along the successful story of Tennessee Valley Authority in the United States.

In 1974, the Tana River Development Authority (TRDA) was established by an Act of Parliament CAP 443 of the Laws of Kenya. The functions and responsibilities of the Authority encompassed integrated planning and coordination of all development projects within the Tana River Basin and specifically to implement any projects for the purpose of utilization and protection of water and soils of the area. In 1981, this mandate was expanded to include the Athi River Basin. This therefore widened the scope to Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA) moving away from the one dimensional goal approach of “power only development” advocated by TRDA and embraced the multipurpose reservoir development approach. Therefore, the focus of the Authority then included; Hydro-power generation, environmental protection, natural resource planning and management, economic development for rural areas to reduce regional disparities.

Go to: website: https://tarda.go.ke

v  Lake Basin Development Authority

The Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) is a national government development agency that was established by an Act of Parliament (Cap 442) on the 31st of August 1979 to provide an avenue for a quicker, more meaningful and co-coordinated development in the Kenyan portion of the Lake Victoria basin. Primarily, LBDA was established to act as a strategic driver of socio-economic development and spur regional development through sustainable utilization and conservation of natural resources through overall planning, co-ordination, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of development projects and programmes within the Lake Victoria basin. Its creation was as a result of the need to leverage on the regional development concept to effectively exploiting and manage of natural resources within the basins for enhanced socio-economic development and transformation.

Go to: website: https://lbda.go.ke

v  Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority

The Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority (ENSDA) operates under a clearly defined mandate as stipulated in the Act. Our functions encompass a holistic approach to the development and protection of the region. They include:

ü  Planning & Initiating: Proactively planning for regional development and initiating project activities based on these plans.

ü  Long-range Development: Crafting comprehensive long-term development strategies for the region to ensure sustained progress.

ü  Studies & Surveys: Conducting studies, surveys, and assessments as mandated by either the Government or the Authority. This includes assessing demands on natural resources and recommending economic priorities while initiating projects across sectors like agriculture, forestry, wildlife, tourism, power generation, mining, and fishing.

ü  Coordination & Monitoring: Ensuring optimal utilization of resources like water, land, and human capital. This involves monitoring the design and execution of planned projects within the region.

ü  Performance Evaluation: Instituting a rigorous program to monitor and evaluate project performance, fostering improvements and ensuring responsibility.

ü  Resource Management: Coordinating the present extraction and use of natural resources, especially water, and establishing an effective system for monitoring its abstraction and usage.

ü  Construction & Infrastructure: Undertaking necessary construction works for the protection and utilization of the region's water and soils.

ü  Landowner Collaboration: Ensuring that all landowners implement measures specified by the Authority to safeguard the region's water and soils.

ü  Data Management: Efficiently identifying, collecting, and correlating data related to the usage of water and other resources, as well as economic activities, to enhance forward planning of the region.

By adhering to these functions, ENSDA is poised to effectively manage, protect, and advance the prospects of the Ewaso Ng'iro South Basin, always aiming for integrated, sustainable, and equitable development.

Go to: website: https://ensda.go.ke

v  Coast Development Authority

A State Corporation established by an Act of Parliament No. 20 of 1990 (Cap 449), revised in 1992.Coast Development Authority’s mandate is to plan and co-ordinate the implementation of development projects in the entire Coast Region, namely, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Mombasa, Taita-Taveta and Tana River Counties as well as southern Garissa and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). CDA area of jurisdiction covers 103,326 km2 and the EEZ (200 Nautical Miles of the Indian Ocean). Population in the region has grown from 2.7 million ('99 census) to 3.4 million ('09 census) & is estimated to be 3.5 in '19 (using the inter-censal growth of 3.8 %). The majority of the population (70.8%) live in the rural areas & engage in subsistence farming in high and medium agricultural potential areas. Of the total land area, only 34,314 km2 (31%) is arable, the remaining 69% is Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) supporting mainly livestock.

Go to: website: https://cda.go.ke

v  Ewaso Ng’iro North Development Authority

Ewaso Ng’iro North Development Authority (ENNDA) was established on 1st December 1989 through the Ewaso Ng’iro North River Basin Development Authority Act CAP 448 of the Laws of Kenya. ENNDA is amongst 6 basin development authorities namely; Lake Basin Development Authority, Kerio Valley Development Authority, Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority, Coast Development Authority and Ewaso Ng’iro South Development Authority

Go to: website: https://ennda.go.ke