Includes Indexes and References

Water pollution is a significant concern because it affects the quality and availability of water resources essential for various purposes. The Kuuru River is a tributary of the Tana River that serves as a source of drinking water, irrigation, and other domestic uses in Meru County. The study determined the water quality, land use, and environmental conservation activities in the riparian zone of the Kuuru River from the source to the Kathita River, a tributary of the Tana River, and evaluated the contribution of institutions provided by the legislative framework to the conservation of the Kuuru River. Standard methods were used to analyze turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), nitrates, and phosphates from 18 water samples collected along the Kuuru River. A descriptive survey using semi-structured questionnaires was administered to 384 household heads to obtain data on land use and environmental conservation practices. Semi-structured questionnaires were also administered to6keyinformants from relevant institutions to gather information on their interventions and the supervision of river protection activities. Physicochemical parameters were subjected to analysis using one-way ANOVA, and a one-sample t-test was employed to determine whether the values exceeded the permissible standards. The questionnaires were entered into SPSS software for data management, where comparative analysis was used for data analysis. Among the parameters measured, TDS (94.4-230mg/L), pH(7.06-8.29), temperature (19.4-20.9 0C) and Nitrates (0.0045-0.0125mg/L) met the set standards by the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Environmental Management Authority(NEMA), and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) for drinking water. However, levels of EC (461S/m), turbidity (640NTU) and phosphates(3mg/L) were elevated, indicating the presence of pollutants. Anthropogenic activities in Maskani, Kanthiari, Kimachia markets, and Meru-Mikinduri highway were identified as the main drivers of pollution. A lack of awareness regarding riparian conservation was noted and was attributed to insufficient stakeholder involvement and inadequate technical and financial support for conservation efforts. A periodic assessment of the water quality in the Kuuru River is recommended to determine the overall impact of the anthropogenic activities in the study area. Effective stakeholder involvement to raise awareness of riparian conservation is essential.