Haleon Kenya has formalised a three-year partnership with the Upper Tana–Nairobi Water Fund Trust (UTNWFT) to support conservation and sustainable farming interventions in the Upper Tana watershed, a catchment the trust says supplies approximately 95% of Nairobi’s water and around 50% of Kenya’s hydropower.

The partnership was announced on 18 June 2026 in Nairobi and marked by the public signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organisations, according to a statement issued by Haleon and UTNWFT. The initiative focuses on watershed restoration, sustainable land and water management, and community-led conservation, with the stated goal of improving long-term water security.

The partners said the programme will work with 7,660 smallholder farmers and target improved management across 131 hectares of farmland, alongside the restoration of 1.5 kilometres of riparian corridors. Planned interventions include agroforestry, soil conservation terraces, grass strips on farmland, riparian buffer restoration, farmer training and extension support, according to the press release.

Haleon said the project is expected to generate approximately 76,000 cubic metres of water replenishment per year attributable to the company by year three. The estimate is based on Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting (VWBA) and the Curve Number hydrological method, the statement said, and is intended to support Haleon’s water neutrality goal for its Nairobi site.

“Water is fundamental to health, communities, and sustainable growth. Through this partnership with the Upper Tana–Nairobi Water Fund Trust, Haleon is proud to support practical, nature-based solutions that help protect vital water resources while strengthening resilience for communities across the Upper Tana watershed,” said Himanshu Raj, General Manager at Haleon Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Upper Tana catchment has come under pressure from land degradation, population growth and climate variability, according to the partners. The statement linked unsustainable farming on steep slopes to soil erosion and sedimentation in rivers and reservoirs, which it said can raise water treatment costs and reduce productivity for smallholder farmers.

Patrick Nyaga, Chief Executive Officer of the Upper Tana-Nairobi Water Fund Trust, said the collaboration will focus on measurable outcomes. “Through this partnership with Haleon, we are advancing our shared commitment to water stewardship by working collaboratively, investing in practical solutions that are tied to robust measurement. Ultimately, it’s about investing in solutions that deliver lasting value for communities, businesses, and the environment,” Nyaga said.

For Kenyan businesses and utilities, catchment health has direct cost implications because higher sediment loads can increase downstream water treatment requirements and affect storage capacity in reservoirs. While the partners did not disclose the value of Haleon’s investment, they said the initiative aims to reduce sediment loads and downstream treatment costs while also supporting farm productivity and incomes upstream.

The announcement adds to a growing trend of private-sector participation in catchment protection as water security becomes a more material operational risk for manufacturers and service providers in Nairobi and across the country. With Nairobi’s water supply heavily reliant on the Upper Tana system, sustained degradation of the catchment can also translate into supply disruptions that affect industrial users and household consumption.

Over the three-year term, the partners said progress will be tracked using the stated accounting and hydrological methods to quantify water benefits. The next milestone will be implementation of the on-farm and riparian restoration activities across targeted areas of the Upper Tana watershed, with annual replenishment impacts expected to build toward the year-three estimate.