At a glance — what a legal borehole requires
In Kenya, groundwater belongs to the public and is managed by the Water Resources Authority (WRA) — formerly WRMA. You cannot legally drill, equip, or abstract water from a borehole without WRA authorization. The process starts with a hydrogeological survey, moves through application and a physical site verification, and ends with drilling authorization — then, after the hole is built, a water-abstraction permit.
Industry timelines often stretch to 4–8 weeks when survey reports are rejected or site visits fail. With Kisima guiding your application — WRA-standard survey, complete paperwork, and coordinated site facilitation — we routinely secure drilling authorization in under seven days.
Legal basis
Water Act 2016 and Water Resources Regulations 2021. Drilling without authorization is an offence.
First requirement
A WRA-compliant hydrogeological survey report — not a verbal recommendation from a driller.
Site verification
WRA officials visit your plot to confirm coordinates, geology context, and nearby boreholes before approving.
Kisima turnaround
With Kisima holding your hand on the file, most clients get WRA authorization in under one week.
Why WRA exists — and why skipping permits is expensive
Kenya's aquifers are shared resources. If everyone drilled wherever they wanted, without limits or records, neighbouring boreholes would interfere with each other, shallow wells would dry up, and contamination would spread faster. WRA's job is to register every borehole, set sustainable abstraction limits, and keep a national database of groundwater use.
For you as a landowner or developer, the permit process is not bureaucracy for its own sake — it protects your investment. A registered borehole with proper documentation is bankable, insurable, and sellable with the property. An illegal borehole can be sealed, fined, or disconnected from commercial water-selling operations overnight.
WRA vs WRMA — same authority, updated name
You will still see WRMA on older forms, receipts, and online articles. The Water Resources Management Authority rebranded to the Water Resources Authority (WRA) under the Water Act 2016. Applications now go through WRA sub-basin offices or the eCitizen portal, depending on your catchment area. When we say "WRA permit" in this guide, we mean the current drilling authorization and abstraction licensing process.
WRA fees in 2026 — what you actually pay
Permit costs are separate from drilling, casing, and pump installation. Here are the direct WRA-related charges we prepare clients for on every domestic and commercial application.
| Item | Amount (KES) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| WRA drilling authorization application fee | 20,500 | Statutory fee paid to WRA when submitting Form WRA 001 (or equivalent) for borehole drilling authorization |
| Site facilitation | 10,000 | Logistics and on-site coordination so WRA officials can visit your plot, verify the proposed drill point on GPS, walk the site, and inspect nearby boreholes in the neighbourhood |
| Direct WRA application package | 30,500 | Combined WRA fee + site facilitation (excludes hydro survey, drilling, NEMA, and county fees) |
What site facilitation includes
The KES 10,000 site facilitation is not an arbitrary charge — it covers real work that must happen before WRA approves your file:
- Official site visit coordination — scheduling WRA officers to attend your property at the proposed drill coordinates
- Location verification — confirming the drill point matches the GPS coordinates in your hydrogeological survey report
- Nearby borehole inventory on the ground — WRA checks existing wells within the influence zone; we help document depths, yields, and distances where available
- Access and logistics — guiding officials across the plot, marking boundaries, and ensuring the visit completes without deferrals for missing access
- File follow-up — responding to sub-basin queries after the visit so your application is not sent back for amendments
Other costs to budget (not included above)
Hydrogeological survey
From KES 35,000 with Kisima — mandatory before WRA accepts your application. Includes geophysics, maps, and a WRA-standard written report.
NEMA screening
KES 45,000–60,000 for projects requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment or project report — common for commercial, high-yield, or sensitive sites.
County permit
Varies by county — some require a local water or construction approval in addition to WRA authorization.
Abstraction permit (annual)
KES 3,000–25,000/year depending on use category — domestic, irrigation, livestock, commercial, or industrial — issued after drilling is complete.
For a full drilling budget including mobilization, casing, and equipping, see our 2026 borehole cost breakdown and interactive calculator.
The hydrogeological survey report WRA expects
WRA will reject or defer applications backed by incomplete survey work. At Kisima Well Drillers, we produce authentic hydrogeological survey reports that meet WRA submission standards — the same format our files use at sub-basin offices across Kenya, from domestic plots in Kajiado to commercial schemes in Nairobi.
What a WRA-compliant survey report must contain
- GPS drill coordinates — precise proposed drill point in WGS84 or Arc 1960, marked on a site map
- Geophysical profiles — electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) or equivalent showing water-bearing zones and recommended depth
- Estimated depth to water strike — with a realistic range, not a single guess number
- Expected yield range — litres per minute or m³/day, tied to aquifer type and local geology
- Geology and stratigraphy — description of soil, weathered rock, and hard formation expected during drilling
- Nearby borehole inventory — distances, known depths, and yields of neighbouring wells where data exists
- Water-quality indicators — TDS, pH, iron, fluoride risk flags from field tests or regional data
- Recommended casing programme — plain vs screen depth guidance for the drilling contractor
- Practitioner credentials — survey conducted by a licensed hydrogeologist or registered drilling company with survey capability
How Kisima conducts the survey
Our field teams use ERT resistivity profiling, pool finder, and GPS/GIS mapping on site — typically completed in 1–3 days. We cross-reference your plot against geology maps, catchment plans, and neighbouring borehole records before finalizing coordinates. The written report is delivered in a format ready to attach to your WRA application — no reformatting, no missing sections, no "come back when you have proper maps."
We have completed 500+ hydrogeological surveys with a 99% siting accuracy track record. That matters because WRA ties your authorization to the exact coordinates in the report; drill 50 metres away without approval and you are out of compliance.
What happens when WRA officials visit your land
After your application file and KES 20,500 fee are submitted, WRA schedules a physical site verification. This is where the KES 10,000 site facilitation earns its value — without proper coordination, visits get postponed, files get deferred, and your drilling timeline slips by weeks.
On the day of the visit, officials typically:
- Confirm land access — title deed holder or authorized representative must be present, or a signed consent letter from the owner
- Walk to the proposed drill point — GPS coordinates from the survey report are checked on the ground with a handheld unit
- Assess the site environment — slope, drainage, distance to septic systems, rivers, or protected areas
- Inspect nearby boreholes — WRA maps the neighbourhood well field to assess interference risk and cumulative abstraction
- Interview the applicant — intended water use (domestic, irrigation, commercial), estimated daily demand, and storage plans
- Record findings — site visit notes are attached to your file at the sub-basin office for final review
Documents you need before applying
Gather these before submission — incomplete files are the number-one cause of delays.
- National ID or company PIN certificate — for individuals or registered companies
- Land title deed or lease agreement — plus consent letter if you are not the registered owner
- Hydrogeological survey report — WRA-standard, from a licensed practitioner (Kisima survey from KES 35,000)
- Site map and coordinates — usually included in the survey report; must match the physical drill point
- Water use declaration — domestic, livestock, irrigation, commercial, or industrial; affects abstraction fees later
- NEMA license or project report — required for commercial, high-volume, or environmentally sensitive projects
- County approval — where applicable; check with your county water office
- WRA application fee receipt — KES 20,500 payment proof
Hydrogeological survey (before anything else)
Book a survey with a team that understands WRA formatting requirements — not a casual "water diviner" visit. Kisima completes the field work, produces the authenticated report, and can advise on the best drill point before you commit to the full drilling budget.
Timeline: 1–3 days on site · report delivery within days of field completion.
Prepare and submit the application file
Compile all documents from the checklist above. Submit at your WRA sub-basin office or through the eCitizen/WRA portal where available. Attach the hydrogeological survey report as the primary technical annex.
Timeline: 1–3 days to compile if your survey report is ready.
Pay the WRA application fee
Pay the statutory KES 20,500 drilling authorization fee and retain the official receipt. Budget an additional KES 10,000 for site facilitation to cover official visit logistics and nearby borehole verification on the ground.
Timeline: Same day as submission.
WRA site verification visit
WRA schedules a visit to your plot. Kisima coordinates site facilitation so officials can verify coordinates, assess the neighbourhood borehole field, and close their site report without unnecessary deferrals.
Timeline: Usually 1–3 weeks after submission, depending on sub-basin workload.
Receive drilling authorization
If the file is complete and the site visit is satisfactory, WRA issues a drilling authorization letter — typically valid for six months. Only now can a licensed drilling contractor mobilize to your site.
Timeline: Many applicants wait 4–8 weeks. With Kisima holding your hand — correct survey format, full document pack, and site facilitation arranged upfront — most domestic files receive authorization in less than one week.
Drill, test pump, and submit completion records
Drill with a WRA-licensed contractor (Kisima holds valid drilling authorization). After drilling, submit the borehole completion report — final depth, casing log, screen intervals, gravel pack summary — plus test pumping results and a water quality analysis from a certified lab.
See our step-by-step drilling guide for what happens on site.
Timeline: 5–14 days on site for most domestic boreholes after mobilization.
Apply for the water abstraction permit
Once drilling and test pumping are complete, apply for the water use (abstraction) permit. This is the legal right to pump and use the water — separate from drilling authorization. Annual fees range from KES 3,000 to KES 25,000 depending on your use category. Permits are typically valid for five years and renewable with usage reports.
NEMA, county, and commercial approvals
WRA authorization is the core requirement for every borehole, but it is not always the only one:
- NEMA — Environmental Impact Assessment or project report for commercial water-selling, large irrigation, or sites near wetlands and protected areas. See our Donholm commercial case study for a real WRA + NEMA workflow.
- County government — some counties issue local water or construction permits; requirements vary — ask your county water officer.
- Public health / water quality — if you sell water commercially, periodic lab testing and public health clearance apply in addition to WRA abstraction limits.
Documents you should have after a compliant project
- Hydrogeological survey report (pre-drill)
- WRA drilling authorization letter
- Borehole completion report with drilling log
- Test pumping report (yield, drawdown, recovery)
- Water quality laboratory certificate
- WRA water abstraction permit
- NEMA license (if applicable)
How Kisima supports your full permit-to-pump journey
We are not just drillers — we manage the technical chain WRA expects from first survey to final test pump. With Kisima on your side, permit approval in under one week is our standard target — because we submit WRA-ready survey reports, coordinate the KES 10,000 site visit without delays, and follow the file until authorization lands.
WRA-standard survey
Authentic hydrogeological reports accepted at sub-basin offices — geophysics, maps, coordinates, neighbour borehole context.
Permit coordination
We advise on WRA fee payment (KES 20,500), site facilitation (KES 10,000), and file preparation so your application is complete.
Licensed drilling
WRA-authorized drilling contractor — mobilization, casing, gravel pack, development, and test pumping.
Equipping
Pump sizing from test-pump data — submersible, solar, tanks, and control panels matched to certified yield.
Frequently asked about WRA borehole permits
How much is the WRA borehole permit fee in Kenya?
Can I start drilling while waiting for WRA approval?
What happens if my survey report is rejected?
How long does WRA approval take?
Is WRMA the same as WRA?
Do I need a survey if my neighbour already has a borehole?
What is the difference between drilling authorization and abstraction permit?
Start with a WRA-standard survey
Get an authentic hydrogeological survey report accepted by WRA, then drill with a licensed contractor who knows the full compliance chain — survey, permits, drilling, test pumping, and equipping.