Kenya and Uganda have jointly launched the Angololo Water Resources Development Project (AWRDP), a transformative cross-border initiative aimed at benefiting more than 300,000 residents in the Sio-Malaba-Malakisi (SMM) River Sub-basin.
The official launch took place in Kenya’s Busia County and was graced by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, Eng. Eric Mugaa, Principal Secretary Julius Korir, and Uganda’s State Minister for Environment, Beatrice Atim Anywar. Busia Deputy Governor Arthur Odera hosted the ceremony, joined by other dignitaries and stakeholders from both nations.
The AWRDP aligns closely with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) championed by President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. It is also a key part of the recently unveiled National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP), a 10-year blueprint focused on boosting agricultural productivity and household incomes through modern irrigation strategies.
Funded by the African Development Bank and the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility, the project is being implemented under the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP) of the Nile Basin Initiative.
Key components of the project include a 40-meter-high dam with a storage capacity of 31.6 million cubic meters, a 1.3 MW hydropower plant with plans for a 20 MW floating solar system, a 4,000-hectare irrigation scheme, and a water supply system to serve over 270,000 people. Additionally, the project will support fisheries and aquaculture, restore 30% of the 447 km² upstream watershed, and provide flood control infrastructure.
Beyond infrastructure, AWRDP is being hailed as a model of transboundary cooperation, enhancing climate resilience, public health, and economic empowerment, especially for women, youth, and people with disabilities.
“This project is about more than just water and energy—it’s about shared prosperity and regional peace,” said CS Mugaa.
With technical oversight from NELSAP, the Angololo project marks a new chapter in sustainable development and cooperation within the Nile Basin region.
