Kenya is set to invest an estimated USD 350 million over the next decade to restore ecosystems and boost livelihoods in the Lake Victoria Basin. The Multi-sectoral, Multiphase Programme for Ecosystem Stabilization and Socio-economic Development of the Basin (rMPA) was endorsed during a Principal Secretaries’ Strategic Breakfast Meeting in Nairobi.

Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Festus K. Ng’eno, described rMPA as Kenya’s next flagship initiative in the region, building on lessons from the earlier Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP I & II). The programme takes a long-term, programmatic approach focused on sustained ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, and inclusive economic growth.

Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi highlighted the need for accountability, strong inter-ministerial coordination, and collaboration between national and county governments to ensure tangible benefits for communities.

The initiative is being developed within a regional framework coordinated by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission and supported by the World Bank. Funding will come from concessional World Bank loans, the Kenyan government, and complementary investments, with USD 100 million already earmarked in the FY 2027/28 budget for the programme’s initial phase.

The rMPA will directly support county priorities, including watershed restoration, sanitation, fisheries development, sustainable agriculture, and green and blue job creation. It also aims to tackle pollution, ecosystem degradation, urbanization pressures, and climate variability in the basin.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the World Bank, national and county officials, and key ministries, underscoring the programme’s multi-sectoral and collaborative approach.