Water Project
Preparation &
Funding Advisory Kenya
A water need without a credible project document will not attract funding. Maji Hill transforms water needs — whether for a rural community, a county utility, an NGO programme, or a private developer — into technically rigorous, donor-ready project proposals, feasibility studies, and funding applications that win approval and implementation. We know Kenya’s water sector, its regulators, and its funders.
WHY WATER PROJECTS IN KENYA FAIL TO ATTRACT FUNDING — AND HOW WE FIX THAT
Kenya has no shortage of water needs. What it has a shortage of is water projects that are sufficiently well-prepared to attract and retain funding. Donors reject proposals that lack technical credibility, communities lose funding for want of a compliant EIA, and county governments miss grant cycles because their project documents are not in the required format. Maji Hill closes that gap — with technical expertise, regulatory knowledge, and direct experience of what Kenya’s funders require.
Technical Credibility Behind Every Proposal
A project proposal is only as strong as the technical evidence behind it. Maji Hill brings hydrogeological surveys, demand analysis, hydraulic design, and GIS mapping as the technical foundation of every proposal we prepare — giving donors and technical reviewers the confidence that the project will work as proposed, not just sound good on paper.
We Know Kenya’s Funders
Different donors have different priorities, formats, and language preferences. A proposal written for AfDB reads differently from one written for UNICEF, which reads differently again from a CDF application or a World Bank-funded programme proposal. Maji Hill tailors every proposal and concept note to the specific funder’s requirements — not a generic template.
Regulatory Compliance Included
WRMA abstraction licences, NEMA Environmental Impact Assessments, county approval documentation, and ministry submissions are not optional extras in Kenyan water project funding — they are conditions of funding approval. Maji Hill prepares all required regulatory documentation as part of the project preparation package, eliminating the gap between project approval and implementation start.
Community and Governance Support
Most donors funding rural water projects in Kenya require evidence of community ownership — a formally constituted Water Users Association, a governance structure, a tariff plan, and a sustainability strategy. Maji Hill supports community mobilisation, Water Users Association registration, bylaws preparation, and operations planning as part of project preparation — ensuring the social and governance components are as strong as the technical ones.
Realistic Budgets That Hold
Proposals with unrealistically low budgets get approved and then fail during implementation when the actual cost is higher. Proposals with inflated budgets get rejected as not cost-effective. Maji Hill prepares capital cost estimates based on current Kenya market rates — verified against recent procurement data — that are competitive, defensible, and accurate enough to implement without significant variation.
From Approval to Completion
Our advisory service does not end at proposal submission. Maji Hill supports clients through donor response and negotiation, conditions precedent satisfaction, procurement, implementation supervision, and M&E reporting — providing a single point of technical accountability from the first site visit to project completion and handover.
WATER PROJECT PREPARATION SERVICES BY CLIENT TYPE
Select your organisation type for a detailed breakdown of the project preparation and funding advisory services Maji Hill provides — and what is included in a standard engagement.
Community Water Project Preparation
- Community needs assessment and baseline survey
- Borehole siting and hydrogeological feasibility
- Water demand analysis — current and projected
- Scheme design — borehole, pump, tank, distribution
- Capital cost estimation at current Kenya rates
- WRMA abstraction licence application
- NEMA Environmental Impact Assessment or screening
- Water Users Association registration and bylaws
Community Funding Documents
- Full feasibility study report
- Concept note for initial donor approach
- Full project proposal — donor format
- Operations and maintenance sustainability plan
- Community tariff structure and financial model
- GIS map of scheme and service area
- Beneficiary population and equity analysis
- M&E framework with indicators and targets
County Water Project Preparation
- County water infrastructure gap and needs assessment
- Technical feasibility for network extension or new scheme
- Hydraulic modelling and pipe sizing
- Capital investment programme preparation
- CIDP water and sanitation chapter input
- Bilateral donor programme application preparation
- AfDB and World Bank project preparation support
- WRMA and NEMA compliance documentation
County Deliverables
- County Water Master Plan component
- Project Information Memorandum for donor briefing
- Full project proposal — bilateral donor format
- Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
- Resettlement and land acquisition framework
- Procurement plan and implementation schedule
- Financial model and cost recovery analysis
- Capacity building and institutional plan
NGO and WASH Programme Support
- Call for proposal technical review and strategy
- Concept note writing — targeted to specific donor
- Full proposal writing — UN, bilateral, foundation
- Technical annexes — design, cost, M&E
- Consortium proposal coordination across partners
- NEMA and WRMA documentation for programme
- GIS coverage maps for proposal and reporting
- Implementation plan and Gantt chart
NGO Deliverables
- Targeted concept note (3–8 pages, donor format)
- Full proposal with all required annexes
- Bill of quantities and detailed budget
- M&E framework, RACI, and log frame
- Environmental screening and NEMA documentation
- GIS maps for proposal and donor reporting
- Beneficiary and equity analysis
- Post-award implementation support available
Developer Water Project Preparation
- Water supply feasibility for development site
- Borehole siting and yield assessment
- Water demand modelling for proposed development
- Internal water infrastructure design
- Connection to mains or water utility negotiation
- WRMA abstraction licence preparation
- NEMA EIA water infrastructure section
- Water services provider (WSP) agreement support
Developer Deliverables
- Water supply feasibility report
- Hydraulic design and pipe sizing calculations
- NEMA EIA water section and spatial data
- WRMA abstraction licence documentation
- Capital cost estimate for water infrastructure
- Operations and maintenance cost model
- Planning and local authority submission support
- As-built GIS mapping after construction
WATER PROJECT PREPARATION AND FUNDING ADVISORY SERVICES IN DETAIL
Each component of a successful water project funding application requires specific expertise. Maji Hill provides all of them — in-house, coordinated, and delivered as a complete package.
Water Supply Feasibility Studies
A feasibility study is the document that demonstrates a proposed water project is technically viable, environmentally sound, financially sustainable, and socially appropriate before any funder commits resources to it. Maji Hill prepares feasibility studies covering: needs assessment and demand analysis for the target population; hydrogeological assessment and water source confirmation; technical design of the supply system with hydraulic calculations; environmental screening or full EIA under NEMA; capital cost estimation based on current Kenya bill of quantities rates; a sustainability analysis covering operations funding, governance, and maintenance; and a project justification summary in the language and format preferred by the target funder. Feasibility studies are required by virtually all donors funding water infrastructure projects in Kenya.
Concept Note and Full Proposal Writing
A concept note is a short, focused document — typically 3 to 8 pages — that introduces a project to a potential donor and makes the case for a full proposal invitation. Maji Hill writes concept notes targeted to the specific funder, the specific funding round, and the specific priorities signalled in the call for proposals. Where a concept note is accepted and a full proposal is invited, we prepare the complete proposal package — narrative, logical framework, M&E plan, implementation schedule, budget with detailed notes, and all required annexes — in the exact format specified by the donor. We write proposals for bilateral donors (GIZ, AFD, FCDO, USAID, KOICA), multilateral agencies (UNICEF, UN-Habitat, World Bank), foundations, CDF applications, and county-level funding requests.
WRMA Abstraction Licences and NEMA EIA
No water project in Kenya can be legally implemented without a WRMA abstraction licence covering the water source, and — for projects above a threshold size — a NEMA Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate. Both are routinely required as conditions of donor funding approval. Maji Hill prepares and submits WRMA abstraction licence applications including all required hydrogeological data, catchment maps, and abstraction impact assessments. We prepare NEMA EIA documentation — scoping report, full EIA report, public participation records, and submission — for projects requiring ministerial EIA certificates. For smaller projects, we prepare NEMA project reports and environmental screening documentation. Both WRMA and NEMA submissions are produced to the quality standard required for first-time approval.
Community Mobilisation and Water Users Association Support
Donor-funded community water projects in Kenya fail at unacceptably high rates not because of technical problems but because of governance failures — a water committee that collapses after handover, a tariff that cannot sustain O&M costs, or a scheme operated by individuals without formal accountability. Maji Hill supports Water Users Association (WUA) formation and registration, constitution and bylaw preparation compliant with WRMA requirements, tariff setting based on actual O&M cost modelling, capacity building for committee members, and operations manuals for scheme operators. These governance components are built into the project preparation process — not added as an afterthought — because donors now consistently require evidence of community governance capacity as a condition of funding approval.
M&E Framework, Log Frame, and Reporting Design
Every funded water project requires a monitoring and evaluation framework — a structured set of indicators, data collection methods, baselines, targets, and reporting schedules that allow the donor and implementer to track progress and demonstrate impact. Maji Hill designs M&E frameworks that are realistic to implement in Kenya’s operational context, aligned with the donor’s results measurement system, and sensitive to the gender and equity dimensions of water access. Logical frameworks are prepared in the standard formats used by bilateral donors (DFID/FCDO results chains, GIZ outcome monitoring, AfDB results matrices) and UN agencies. Where a project is already in implementation, we carry out mid-term evaluations and final evaluations in accordance with donor requirements.
WATER AND WASH FUNDING SOURCES IN KENYA — WHERE THE MONEY IS
Kenya’s water and sanitation sector is funded by a diverse range of bilateral, multilateral, domestic, and private sources. Maji Hill advises on the most appropriate funding channel for each project type, scale, and location — and prepares applications in the format each source requires.
8 SITUATIONS WHERE MAJI HILL WATER PROJECT ADVISORY ADDS THE MOST VALUE
These situations — all common in Kenya’s water sector — are where the gap between a water need and a funded project is most often found, and where professional project preparation closes it most efficiently.
A Community Has a Water Need but No Donor
A community that knows what it needs but cannot find a funder usually lacks the project documentation to approach donors credibly. Maji Hill identifies the most appropriate funding sources for the specific project and location, prepares the required documentation, and manages the donor relationship.
A Donor Call for Proposals Is Open — Right Now
Funding calls have fixed deadlines and specific document requirements. An organisation that does not have a prepared project and a partner with proposal writing capacity when a relevant call opens will miss it. Maji Hill can move quickly — from call review to submitted concept note in days where the technical baseline data is available.
A Previous Proposal Was Rejected
Most rejected proposals fail on one of three grounds: insufficient technical credibility, a budget that does not match the scope, or a proposal that does not align with the donor’s current priorities. Maji Hill reviews rejected proposals, identifies the specific weaknesses, and rebuilds them into submissions that can succeed in the next cycle.
A County Government Needs a Project Document for Donor Briefing
Bilateral donors working with county governments in Kenya typically require a project information memorandum or prefeasibility document before engaging in formal negotiations. Maji Hill prepares these documents to the standard expected by bilateral donor technical teams, and supports county water officers through initial donor meetings.
NEMA or WRMA is Blocking a Funded Project
Projects that reach funding approval without the required NEMA EIA certificate or WRMA abstraction licence face implementation delays of months or years. Maji Hill prepares and submits both — and manages the regulatory process through to certificate issuance — so regulatory approvals are parallel-tracked with funding preparation, not sequential.
A Property Developer Needs Water Source and Infrastructure Approval
Developers in Kenya routinely underestimate the complexity of securing a water source approval — WRMA licence, NEMA EIA, and county council clearance — for a new development. Maji Hill handles the complete water regulatory process, including borehole siting where a private water source is planned, and manages the timeline to align with the development programme.
An NGO Needs a Technical Partner for Proposal Consortium
Many donor calls in Kenya require implementing consortia — with a lead NGO and technical implementing partners. Maji Hill joins NGO-led proposal consortia as the water and sanitation technical partner — providing the hydrogeological, design, GIS, and M&E technical components that give the proposal credibility with donor technical reviewers.
A Community Scheme Needs a Sustainability Plan for Handover
A funded water scheme about to be handed over to a community that lacks a water committee, a tariff structure, an O&M budget, and an operations manual is highly likely to fail within 5 years of handover. Maji Hill prepares sustainability frameworks and supports WUA capacity building as a standalone service for schemes approaching the handover stage.
HOW MAJI HILL PREPARES A WATER PROJECT FOR FUNDING IN KENYA
A structured six-phase engagement — from initial project scoping to a fully funded, implementation-ready water project.
Project Scoping and Funding Landscape Review
Technical Assessment and Feasibility
Concept Note Development
Full Proposal and Document Package
Submission and Donor Engagement
Implementation and M&E Support
WATER PROJECT DOCUMENTS WE PREPARE — AND WHEN EACH IS NEEDED
Different stages of the project funding cycle require different documents. This reference table shows which documents Maji Hill prepares and the stage at which each is required.
| Document | When Needed | Who Requires It | Typical Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concept Note | First contact with potential donor | Bilateral donors, UN agencies, foundations | 3–8 pages |
| Prefeasibility Study | Early project exploration before full feasibility | County governments, community leadership | 15–30 pages |
| Full Feasibility Study | Before proposal submission to major donors | AfDB, World Bank, bilateral donors | 40–100 pages |
| Full Project Proposal | After concept note acceptance | All funders — format varies by donor | 20–60 pages + annexes |
| Environmental Impact Assessment | Before any implementation begins | NEMA — required by law | 50–150 pages |
| WRMA Abstraction Licence Application | Before drilling or abstracting water | Water Resources Management Authority | Form + technical annexes |
| M&E Framework and Log Frame | Submitted with full proposal | All donors — format varies | 5–15 pages |
| WUA Constitution and Bylaws | Before handover to community | WRMA, donors, county government | 10–20 pages |
WHAT WATER PROJECT PREPARATION SERVICE DO YOU NEED?
Answer four quick questions for a personalised recommendation on the right starting point for your water project preparation and funding advisory engagement.
What type of organisation are you?
What stage is your project at?
Do you have a target donor or funding source in mind?
Do you have NEMA and WRMA regulatory approvals?
WATER PROJECT PREPARATION AND ADVISORY COVERAGE ACROSS KENYA
Maji Hill prepares water project documents and conducts field assessments across all 47 counties of Kenya. Type your county or town below to confirm coverage for your project area.
WHAT CLIENTS SAY ABOUT MAJI HILL WATER PROJECT ADVISORY
Feedback from community leaders, county water officers, and NGO project managers who have used Maji Hill to prepare and fund water projects across Kenya.
“Our community in Kitui had been trying to get funding for a borehole project for four years with no success. Maji Hill carried out the hydrogeological survey, prepared a full feasibility study, wrote a concept note and full proposal for a GIZ-funded programme, handled the WRMA application, and managed the entire relationship with the donor. Our project was approved in the first round. Water is now flowing. We had the need for four years — Maji Hill got it funded in seven months.”
“We are an NGO implementing WASH programmes in Turkana and West Pokot and were invited to submit a full proposal to a bilateral donor after passing the concept note stage with our own team. We brought in Maji Hill for the technical components — hydrogeological justification, water demand analysis, scheme design, M&E framework, and GIS coverage maps. The quality of their technical annexes was what the donor specifically commented on during appraisal. The proposal was approved. We will use Maji Hill on every technical proposal going forward.”
“Our county water department had identified a priority water extension project for an underserved peri-urban area but had no document prepared for donor briefing. Maji Hill produced a project information memorandum, a prefeasibility study, and a full proposal document aligned with AfDB programme requirements within six weeks. Their work on the financial model and the Environmental and Social screening was particularly strong. The project is now in AfDB appraisal. Credible, fast, and professional.”
HAVE A WATER NEED IN KENYA? LET’S TURN IT INTO A FUNDED PROJECT
Maji Hill combines technical water engineering expertise with proposal writing, regulatory compliance, and donor knowledge to prepare water projects that attract funding and get built. From rural borehole communities to county water utilities and international NGO programmes — across all 47 counties of Kenya.
SUBMIT A PROJECT BRIEF — WATER PROJECT PREPARATION AND FUNDING ADVISORY
Tell us about your water project and we will prepare a tailored scope of work and advisory proposal. We respond within one working day to all project enquiries.
WATER PROJECT FUNDING ADVISORY KENYA — FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Honest answers to what community groups, county officers, NGO project managers, and developers ask before engaging Maji Hill for water project preparation and funding advisory services.
What does water project preparation involve in Kenya?
Water project preparation in Kenya transforms a water need into a fully documented, technically justified, and financially planned project that is ready for funding and implementation. The key components are: a demand and need assessment establishing who is affected and how; a technical feasibility study confirming the proposed solution is viable at the site; a hydrogeological or source assessment confirming water availability; environmental screening or full Environmental Impact Assessment under NEMA; capital cost estimation; a sustainability and operations plan; and a written project document — concept note, proposal, or feasibility report — in the format required by the target funding source. Without these components, even a genuine and urgent water need will not attract credible funding from professional donors.
Which donors fund water and WASH projects in Kenya?
Kenya’s water and sanitation sector is funded by bilateral donors including GIZ and KfW from Germany, AFD from France, FCDO from the UK, USAID from the USA, and KOICA from South Korea; multilateral agencies including the African Development Bank, World Bank, UNICEF, and UN-Habitat; domestic sources including the NG-CDF, county development budgets, the Equalisation Fund, and the Water Services Trust Fund; and foundations and international NGOs implementing with donor funding. Maji Hill advises on the most appropriate funding source for each specific project type, location, and implementing organisation — matching the project to funders where the priorities align rather than approaching funders randomly.
Can Maji Hill prepare a feasibility study for a community borehole project?
Yes. Maji Hill prepares feasibility studies for community borehole projects across Kenya covering: hydrogeological assessment and borehole siting using geological review, satellite imagery analysis, and geophysical surveys where warranted; yield estimation; water demand analysis for the target community; technical design of the distribution system from borehole to household or standpipe; capital cost estimation at current Kenya market rates; WRMA abstraction licence documentation; NEMA screening or project report; and a sustainability plan covering Water Users Association governance, tariff structure, and O&M funding. The feasibility study is produced in a format compatible with the requirements of the most common community water project donors operating in Kenya.
How do county governments access funding for water infrastructure in Kenya?
County governments access water infrastructure funding through several channels: their own county development budget allocations under the County Integrated Development Plan; national government transfers through the Equalisation Fund and conditional grants; bilateral donor programmes — particularly GIZ, AFD, and FCDO-funded programmes that implement through county water departments and CWSCs; the AfDB’s county-level facilities; and the Kenya Water Towers Agency for catchment-linked projects. Each channel has different documentation requirements and application processes. Maji Hill supports county governments and CWSCs in identifying the most appropriate funding channel for each project, preparing the required documentation in the correct format, and managing the relationship with funding agencies through to project approval and implementation start.
What is a WASH project concept note and when is it needed?
A concept note is a short project document — typically 3 to 8 pages — that presents a proposed water or sanitation project to a donor at the first stage of a funding relationship. It describes the problem being addressed, the proposed solution, the target beneficiaries, the implementing organisation’s capacity, a preliminary budget range, and the expected outcomes. Many donors use concept note review as the first filter before inviting full proposals — meaning a poorly prepared concept note eliminates a project before its technical quality is ever assessed. Maji Hill prepares concept notes targeted to specific funding calls, written in the language and style preferred by the target donor, supported by the preliminary technical data needed to make the concept credible to a donor’s technical reviewer. A strong concept note significantly increases the probability of a full proposal invitation.
Can Maji Hill join our NGO consortium as a technical partner for a proposal?
Yes. Maji Hill joins NGO-led proposal consortia as the water and sanitation technical partner — providing the hydrogeological survey, scheme design, GIS coverage maps, capital cost estimate, environmental screening, WRMA documentation, and M&E technical framework components that give the proposal credibility with donor technical reviewers. For consortia submitting to major bilateral donors, the quality of the technical annexes — not just the narrative — frequently determines whether the proposal passes technical appraisal. Maji Hill has experience working within consortium arrangements under FCDO, GIZ, USAID, UNICEF, and UN-Habitat funded programmes in Kenya. Contact us early in the proposal preparation process — technical components take time to produce correctly, and proposals assembled with generic technical content consistently underperform.