Kenya plans to begin monitoring surface and ground levels in order to mitigate impact of the current, Joe Mutambu, Chairman of Water Resources Authority, said on Monday.

Mutambu told journalists in Nairobi that more than half of the country was experiencing drought and urgent interventions were required to reduce its impact on the people’s livelihoods.

“We will commence monitoring of both surface and ground water bodies in order to determine and maintain reserve flows,’’ Mutambu said.

He noted that water scarcity had led to increased cases of illegal water abstraction and it had enhanced surveillance to eliminate the pumping of water from boreholes beyond the acceptable limit.

According to Mutambu, Kenya is also mapping out water-stressed bodies in order to avoid over-exploitation of water resources.

He added that Kenya would soon embark on water rationing programmes with the intention of prioritising water for e