Local voices for river health: citizen science in Kenya
02 July 2025The River Health Assessment (RHA) is a citizen science initiative in the Thika River catchment, where eight Water Resources Users Associations (WRUAs) have been trained to collect water resource data. The cool thing? Citizen science involves members of the public working alongside scientists to collect, analyse, and share information about their local environment. Supported by the Blue Deal partnership, this effort aims to improve catchment management through better data collection, active community involvement, and transparent sharing of progress and challenges. WRUA citizen scientists carry out monthly monitoring at times that suit them.
Group of citizen scientist entering data into Kobo Collect application.
Community involvement for healthy rivers and water cycles
A Water Resources Users Association (WRUA) is a community-led model of water governance, where citizens collectively manage and protect shared water sources. Rooted in the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach, WRUAs aim to ensure equitable access and sustainable use. Their formation, including in the Upper Tana Basin, is supported by Kenya’s Water Acts and the 2010 Constitution, which promotes community participation in water management (You are leaving this website).
Group of citizen scientist conducting water tests
Standardising procedures: the River Health Assesment (RHA) manual
Capacity building is at the heart of Water Operators’ Partnerships. One of our biggest successes has been the “train the trainer” approach, where local experts learn new skills and then pass them on to others in their communities. We believe that sharing knowledge is the key to lasting change, which is why we work closely with our partners and local Water Resources Users Associations. To help everyone follow the same process, World Waternet has produced a straightforward River Health Assessment manual. This guide explains each step clearly, from collecting water samples to measuring turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and even looking for signs of river health in local animal species. With this manual, we are turning citizens into citizen scientists and river heroes, enabling anyone to get involved and help protect our rivers.
A healthy river means a healthy community
In June 2025, the River Health Assessment exercise experienced a boost in collaboration and participation, with WRUA members assisting water experts on the ground. Staff from the Water Resources Authority (WRA) and World Waternet joined the activity, offering continued support, while WRA also conducted its own water quality assessment as part of quality control efforts.
Citizen Scientist in the process of collecting macroinvertebrates.
Growing communities for healthy rivers
The Thika Muti WRUA stood out this month by successfully attracting more participants to the exercise. Their efforts are commendable and serve as a model for other WRUAs.
“Peter Mutiso and Damiana Kalondu, citizen scientists with the Thika Muti WRUA, led an excellent training session, skillfully using the RHA manual to guide participants. Their clarity and leadership are helping to build local capacity and inspire others to get involved.
This growing engagement is a positive sign. As more WRUAs adopt similar approaches, the number of citizen scientists will continue to grow. That’s essential for keeping the RHA exercise going in the long term.” — Simon Muturi (World Waternet, Kenya)
When communities are motivated, rivers are clean and water is safe
The Thika River catchment experience highlights the practical benefits of citizen science. When local communities are trained and actively involved in monitoring, we see more accurate data, stronger local capacity, and greater transparency in water management. This approach not only empowers citizens but also leads to more effective and sustainable protection of rivers. As more WRUAs and communities adopt citizen science, we can expect continued improvements in river health and water security across Kenya.
Get involved! To learn more about how citizen science and WRUAs are making a difference, reach out to Simon Muturi.
Simon Muturi: [email protected]