State Department for Irrigation

State Department for Irrigation The State Department for Irrigation was established through Executive Order No. 1 of 2023 on Organization of the Government of the Republic of Kenya.

Kajiado County is characterized by low and unreliable rainfall and remains highly vulnerable to recurrent droughts and e...
01/09/2026

Kajiado County is characterized by low and unreliable rainfall and remains highly vulnerable to recurrent droughts and extreme weather events. For communities whose livelihoods largely depend on livestock including beef cattle, sheep and goats prolonged dry spells can have far reaching consequences, affecting pasture availability, livestock health, household incomes and food security.
Recognizing the central role of water in building resilience, the State Department for Irrigation is prioritizing strategic investments in water infrastructure to increase water availability for livestock watering, fodder production and horticultural development.

As part of this intervention, the State Department has prioritized the development of three strategic water storage facilities in Kajiado County: Empunkaiyat Dam, Iloshon Dam and Oiti Ngama Dam.
The proposed investments are intended to provide communities with a more reliable water resource base while creating opportunities to diversify agricultural production, strengthen livelihoods and enhance resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Today, Irrigation Secretary Mr. Tanui K Joel, accompanied by senior engineers from the State Department for Irrigation, undertook an assessment of the proposed dam sites. The team also engaged local communities and prospective beneficiaries to understand their priorities and prepare for the commencement of the planned works.

The development of the three water storage facilities is expected to deliver significant benefits to communities in the targeted areas. Improved access to water will support livestock production, facilitate fodder development and create opportunities for horticultural production, while contributing to improved food and nutrition security.
For smallholder farmers and livestock keepers, these investments will provide an important foundation for increasing household incomes and reducing vulnerability to the effects of climate variability.

The interventions are aligned with the Governmentโ€™s broader commitment to investing in water infrastructure as a catalyst for agricultural transformation, particularly in ASAL counties where water scarcity remains a major constraint to economic development.
By expanding water storage capacity and improving access to reliable water resources, the State Department for Irrigation is supporting communities to transition from vulnerability to resilience and from subsistence production to more productive and sustainable agricultural systems.

The Government remains committed to expanding water access, strengthening climate resilience and transforming Kenyaโ€™s ASALs into productive and sustainable agricultural economies, ensuring that water becomes a foundation for improved livelihoods, enhanced food security and inclusive economic growth.

๐—ž๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜†๐—ฎ ๐—›๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐—น๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜๐˜€ ๐—œ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—”๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎโ€™๐˜€ ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฑ ๐—ฆ๐˜†๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ๐˜€ ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ž๐—œ๐—š๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—œ, ๐—ฅ๐—ช๐—”๐—ก๐——๐—”, 31 ๐—”๐—จ๐—š๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ง 2026The G...
31/08/2026

๐—ž๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜†๐—ฎ ๐—›๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐—น๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜๐˜€ ๐—œ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—”๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎโ€™๐˜€ ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฑ ๐—ฆ๐˜†๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ๐˜€ ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป

๐—ž๐—œ๐—š๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—œ, ๐—ฅ๐—ช๐—”๐—ก๐——๐—”, 31 ๐—”๐—จ๐—š๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ง 2026

The Government of Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding irrigation as a critical pathway to strengthening food and water security, increasing agricultural productivity and building resilient food systems across the country.

Irrigation Secretary for Infrastructure, Eng. Vincent Kabuti,OGW, representing the Principal Secretary, State Department for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho Kimani - PS, today joined a high level panel at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda, to discuss โ€œWhy Water Matters for Africaโ€™s Food System.โ€

The session brought together Ministers, government officials, development partners, investors, researchers, farmers and private sector leaders to examine the role of water in accelerating Africaโ€™s food systems transformation.

The session was organised by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), AUDA-NEPAD, AGRA, the World Bank and AU-SAFGRAD.

The discussions underscored the critical relationship between water availability and agricultural production, noting that approximately 90 per cent of agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa is rainfed, while irrigation accounts for less than five per cent of cultivated land.

This dependence on rainfall exposes agricultural production and livelihoods to increasing climate variability and highlights the need for greater investment in irrigation and water management infrastructure.

Speaking during the session, Eng. Kabuti highlighted Kenyaโ€™s policy and investment measures aimed at increasing the area under irrigation and improving the performance of existing irrigation schemes.
He outlined the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) as a key framework for focusing and coordinating investments in the irrigation sector, with the objective of improving irrigation performance, enhancing agricultural productivity and increasing farmersโ€™ incomes.

NISIP provides a framework for mobilising resources from both the public and private sectors to accelerate irrigation development. Through blended financing, the Government seeks to use public resources strategically to catalyse private-sector investment and expand financing for irrigation infrastructure and related value chain investments.

The approach is intended to support the Governmentโ€™s ambition of bringing an additional one million acres under irrigation, thereby increasing the countryโ€™s capacity for year round agricultural production and strengthening resilience to climate variability.
The expansion of irrigation is also expected to contribute to increased agricultural productivity, improved household incomes, employment creation and stronger food value chains.

The Kigali discussions further emphasised that investment in irrigation must go beyond the provision of water to farms. Sustainable irrigation development requires investments in water storage and conveyance infrastructure, efficient water use technologies, operation and maintenance, climate resilient agricultural practices, markets, value addition and farmer participation.
These investments are critical to ensuring that irrigation contributes effectively to broader food systems outcomes, including food and nutrition security, sustainable livelihoods and economic growth.

The session also provided an opportunity to explore regional and continental initiatives, including Africa RISE, and to examine opportunities for increased collaboration among governments, development institutions, investors, researchers and the private sector in financing and implementing irrigation projects.
The Government of Kenya continues to position irrigation as a strategic pillar of agricultural transformation and food security. By increasing access to reliable water for agricultural production, Kenya seeks to reduce dependence on rainfall, enhance productivity and create more predictable conditions for farmers and other actors across the food system.

The State Department for Irrigation remains committed to strengthening partnerships and mobilising investment to expand irrigation infrastructure and improve the management and sustainability of existing schemes.
The Governmentโ€™s overarching objective is to strengthen water security as a foundation for food security, economic resilience and sustainable development, contributing to a more prosperous and peaceful Kenya.

Article 43(1)(c) of the Constitution of Kenya gurantees that Every person has the right to be free from hunger, and to h...
27/08/2026

Article 43(1)(c) of the Constitution of Kenya gurantees that Every person has the right to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality.

Irrigation guarantees access to food amid the devastating effects of climate change. Irrigation transforms lives and livelihoods.

Happy Katiba day.

๐˜พ๐˜ผ๐™„๐™‹๐™จ ๐™‹๐™ง๐™ค๐™œ๐™ง๐™–๐™ข๐™ข๐™š: ๐™„๐™ง๐™ง๐™ž๐™œ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ ๐™–๐™จ ๐™– ๐™†๐™š๐™ฎ ๐˜ฟ๐™ง๐™ž๐™ซ๐™š๐™ง ๐™ค๐™› ๐™„๐™ฃ๐™™๐™ช๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™ง๐™ž๐™–๐™ก๐™ž๐™จ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃThis morning, Principal Secretary for Irrigation CPA Eph...
26/08/2026

๐˜พ๐˜ผ๐™„๐™‹๐™จ ๐™‹๐™ง๐™ค๐™œ๐™ง๐™–๐™ข๐™ข๐™š: ๐™„๐™ง๐™ง๐™ž๐™œ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ ๐™–๐™จ ๐™– ๐™†๐™š๐™ฎ ๐˜ฟ๐™ง๐™ž๐™ซ๐™š๐™ง ๐™ค๐™› ๐™„๐™ฃ๐™™๐™ช๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™ง๐™ž๐™–๐™ก๐™ž๐™จ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ

This morning, Principal Secretary for Irrigation CPA Ephantus Kimotho Kimani - PS,attended a coordination meeting chaired by His Excellency the Deputy President, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, on the implementation of the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) Programme.

Together with the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, relevant Governors and Government agencies responsible for key enabling infrastructure, the meeting reviewed progress towards the completion and operationalisation of the first eight CAIPs in Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Busia, Migori, Garissa and Wajir.

The eight parks are nearing completion, with procurement of common user facilities underway, while efforts are progressing to mobilise raw materials and finalise frameworks for private sector investment and operation.

Irrigation projects are key drivers of the success of CAIPs. Reliable irrigation will ensure a consistent and year round supply of quality farm produce required for aggregation and agro processing within the parks. This is particularly important because the CAIPs will have cold storage and other common user facilities that require a reliable and continuous supply of agricultural commodities to operate effectively.

By linking irrigation to aggregation, cold storage, agro processing and markets, CAIPs can achieve their intended purpose of driving value addition, industrialisation and job creation while creating reliable markets and better returns for farmers.

The integration of irrigation, agriculture, value addition and industrialisation is therefore critical to building resilient agricultural value chains and delivering the full benefits of CAIPs to farmers and the wider economy.

Principal Secretary for Irrigation CPA Ephantus Kimotho Kimani - PS today paid a courtesy call to the Acting CEO of the ...
25/08/2026

Principal Secretary for Irrigation CPA Ephantus Kimotho Kimani - PS today paid a courtesy call to the Acting CEO of the Water Resources Authority (WRA), CPA James Mburu, at his office. Discussions focused on strengthening compliance with the Water Resources Regulations, 2025 (WRR 2025), particularly among irrigation abstractors.

The team discussed the involvement of Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) in water resource conservation activities and the licensing of irrigation abstractors, among other regulatory matters.

The meeting underscored the importance of continued collaboration and coordination between the Water Resources Authority and the State Department for Irrigation in promoting sustainable water resource management, strengthening regulatory compliance, and supporting the efficient and responsible use of our water resources.

๐‘ฒ๐’†๐’๐’š๐’‚ ๐‘จ๐’…๐’—๐’‚๐’๐’„๐’†๐’” ๐‘ซ๐’‚๐’•๐’‚-๐‘ซ๐’“๐’Š๐’—๐’†๐’ ๐‘ฐ๐’“๐’“๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’“ ๐‘ด๐’‚๐’๐’‚๐’ˆ๐’†๐’Ž๐’†๐’๐’• ๐’‚๐’• ๐‘พ๐’๐’“๐’๐’… ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’“ ๐‘พ๐’†๐’†๐’Œ 2026๐‘บ๐‘ป๐‘ถ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ๐‘ฏ๐‘ถ๐‘ณ๐‘ด, ๐‘บ๐’˜๐’†๐’…๐’†๐’Kenya has reaffirmed...
25/08/2026

๐‘ฒ๐’†๐’๐’š๐’‚ ๐‘จ๐’…๐’—๐’‚๐’๐’„๐’†๐’” ๐‘ซ๐’‚๐’•๐’‚-๐‘ซ๐’“๐’Š๐’—๐’†๐’ ๐‘ฐ๐’“๐’“๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’“ ๐‘ด๐’‚๐’๐’‚๐’ˆ๐’†๐’Ž๐’†๐’๐’• ๐’‚๐’• ๐‘พ๐’๐’“๐’๐’… ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’“ ๐‘พ๐’†๐’†๐’Œ 2026
๐‘บ๐‘ป๐‘ถ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ๐‘ฏ๐‘ถ๐‘ณ๐‘ด, ๐‘บ๐’˜๐’†๐’…๐’†๐’

Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding climate-resilient irrigation and strengthening water resources management through the use of reliable data and digital technologies.

Speaking at a side event during World Water Week 2026 in Stockholm, Sweden, the Secretary for Land Reclamation, Climate Resilience and Irrigation Water Management, Mr Tanui K Joel, delivered the keynote address at a session focused on the Water Availability and Demand (WAD) Tool and its role in advancing data-driven irrigation and water resources management.

World Water Week 2026, held from 23 to 27 August under the theme โ€œWater for People and Progress,โ€ brings together policymakers, researchers, development partners and practitioners to explore solutions to some of the world's most pressing water challenges, particularly in the context of climate change and growing demand for water.

Mr Tanui highlighted Kenya's ambitious agenda to expand irrigation, increase water storage and strengthen the country's capacity to manage water resources sustainably. He emphasized that as Kenya seeks to put more land under irrigation, investment decisions must be informed by accurate, timely and accessible information on where water is available, how much is required, and where storage and irrigation investments can deliver the greatest impact.

The WAD Tool provides an important foundation for this approach. Developed through collaboration between the National Irrigation Authority (NIA), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the platform brings together satellite based information, water accounting data and spatial analysis to provide insights into water availability, agricultural water demand, crop patterns, storage potential and water sufficiency.

The tool therefore has the potential to strengthen the connection between data, policy, planning and investment. By enabling decision makers to compare water supply and demand and identify areas with potential for irrigation and water storage, it can support better project design, more efficient allocation of resources and more sustainable development of irrigation infrastructure.

For Kenya, the importance of this approach is particularly significant as the country works to expand irrigated agriculture, enhance food security and build resilience against the increasing effects of climate variability. Irrigation provides an opportunity to reduce dependence on increasingly unpredictable rainfall, increase agricultural productivity and support more reliable livelihoods for farming communities.

However, expanding irrigation also requires careful management of a finite resource. Growing agricultural, domestic, industrial and environmental water needs make it increasingly important to understand both water availability and demand before investments are made. Reliable information can help ensure that irrigation development is aligned with the capacity of available water resources and that investments are directed towards sustainable and high impact interventions.

The Kenyan Government has already taken steps to institutionalise this data-driven approach. In January 2026, the WAD Tool was officially handed over to the National Irrigation Authority, marking a milestone in Kenya's transition towards digitally enabled and data-driven water governance. The Government said the tool would support irrigation planning, water allocation, investment decisions and the development of viable irrigation projects.

Mr Tanui's message at World Water Week therefore placed Kenya's irrigation agenda within the broader global conversation on water for people and progress. The country's irrigation ambitions are ultimately about more than infrastructure and agricultural production; they are about using water wisely to improve livelihoods, strengthen food security, support economic development and prepare communities for a changing climate.

As Kenya expands irrigation and invests in water storage, the use of evidence and technology will remain central to ensuring that every investment contributes to sustainable water management and long term resilience.
The commitment is clear: turn water data into knowledge, knowledge into sound policy, and policy into investments that improve lives and secure a resilient future.

22/08/2026

Water access breathes new life into Kirinyaga. Todayโ€™s Standard Smart Harvest. for mount Kenya Region irrigation project

๐‘๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐…๐š๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ˆ๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐ž๐œ๐ญ ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ง๐ฌ ๐†๐จ๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐‚๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐š๐›๐จ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐…๐จ๐จ๐ ๐’๐ž๐œ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒPrincipal Secretary for Irriga...
21/08/2026

๐‘๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐…๐š๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ˆ๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐ž๐œ๐ญ ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ง๐ฌ ๐†๐จ๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐‚๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐š๐›๐จ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐…๐จ๐จ๐ ๐’๐ž๐œ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ

Principal Secretary for Irrigation,CPA Ephantus Kimotho Kimani - PS , today inspected the Ruiru Prison Farm Irrigation Project in Kiambu County, a flagship pilot initiative being implemented through collaboration between the State Department for Irrigation and the Kenya Prisons Service. The project demonstrates how government institutions can leverage irrigation to enhance agricultural productivity, promote environmental conservation and contribute to national food and nutrition security.

The initiative is part of the Governmentโ€™s efforts to strengthen collaboration across departments and institutions while promoting irrigation as a reliable and sustainable solution for year round agricultural production. By providing a dependable water supply, the project will reduce reliance on rainfall, strengthen climate resilience and enable the productive use of available agricultural land.

The project, with a contract value of KSh 73 million, is designed for completion and payment within a period of less than one year, demonstrating the Governmentโ€™s commitment to delivering high impact irrigation infrastructure efficiently and unlocking rapid economic and social returns from public investment.

The project targets the development of 100 acres of coffee across Blocks A, B and C, alongside tree seedling production and horticulture. Once fully operational, the coffee enterprise is expected to generate more than KSh 20 million, creating a sustainable revenue stream from the productive use of the farm.

A major component of the project is the establishment of a tree nursery with capacity to produce approximately 18 million seedlings annually. The nursery will support the Governmentโ€™s 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, contributing significantly to the national tree-growing and environmental restoration agenda. The annual seedling production has an estimated value of more than KSh 75 million, demonstrating the potential of the farm to combine environmental conservation with income generation.

The farm will also put more than 20 acres under horticultural production, with the capacity to supply fresh produce to prisons across Nairobi, reducing reliance on external suppliers while strengthening institutional food security. The integration of coffee, horticulture and tree seedling production provides a diversified agricultural model capable of generating income, supporting livelihoods and promoting sustainable land use.

Beyond agricultural production, the project has an important rehabilitation and skills-development dimension. Climate resilient farming under irrigation will expose more than 300 inmates to agribusiness skills and practical agricultural production, equipping them with knowledge and hands on experience that can be applied beyond the correctional system upon completion of their sentences. The initiative therefore provides an opportunity for transformative mindset change, helping inmates view agriculture not only as a means of subsistence but as a viable enterprise and source of livelihood.

The irrigation infrastructure comprises intake desilting works, two boreholes, two hybrid water pumping units, water storage facilities, an in field irrigation distribution network and sprinkler systems. The system is designed to facilitate efficient abstraction, storage and distribution of water to the targeted agricultural blocks.

Significant progress has been recorded since the commencement of the project. Intake desilting works, drilling of the two boreholes, installation of the two hybrid pumping units and establishment of water storage facilities are all 100 per cent complete. The in field irrigation distribution network and sprinkler system is currently 80 per cent complete.

Ongoing works include installation of sprinkler systems in the two remaining blocks and extension of irrigation infrastructure to the Greening Kenya section. Upon completion, the system will provide efficient and reliable water application, supporting sustainable agricultural production across the farm.

The project is expected to benefit more than 10,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries and will provide a practical model for expanding irrigation through partnerships with other government institutions. It demonstrates that irrigation investments can simultaneously support food production, institutional self sufficiency, environmental restoration, skills development and economic empowerment.

The State Department for Irrigation continues to promote the development of irrigation infrastructure as a key intervention for increasing agricultural productivity, strengthening climate resilience and ensuring that available land is put to productive use.

Through strategic partnerships and institutional collaboration, the Department is expanding access to reliable irrigation water and accelerating the countryโ€™s progress towards food and nutrition security while supporting innovative approaches to skills development and livelihood transformation.

The PS was hosted during the inspection by Resident Engineer Agnes Agong and Director of Prison Farms Patrick Kariri among other senior Government officials.

๐‘บ๐’•๐’‚๐’•๐’† ๐‘ซ๐’†๐’‘๐’‚๐’“๐’•๐’Ž๐’†๐’๐’• ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐‘ฐ๐’“๐’“๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐‘บ๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’๐’ˆ๐’•๐’‰๐’†๐’๐’” ๐‘ท๐’‚๐’“๐’•๐’๐’†๐’“๐’”๐’‰๐’Š๐’‘๐’” ๐’•๐’ ๐‘จ๐’…๐’—๐’‚๐’๐’„๐’† ๐‘ญ๐’๐’๐’… ๐‘บ๐’†๐’„๐’–๐’“๐’Š๐’•๐’š ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘ฌ๐’™๐’‘๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘ฐ๐’“๐’“๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’… ๐‘จ๐’ˆ๐’“๐’Š๐’„๐’–๐’๐’•๐’–๐’“๐’†The St...
20/08/2026

๐‘บ๐’•๐’‚๐’•๐’† ๐‘ซ๐’†๐’‘๐’‚๐’“๐’•๐’Ž๐’†๐’๐’• ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐‘ฐ๐’“๐’“๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐‘บ๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’๐’ˆ๐’•๐’‰๐’†๐’๐’” ๐‘ท๐’‚๐’“๐’•๐’๐’†๐’“๐’”๐’‰๐’Š๐’‘๐’” ๐’•๐’ ๐‘จ๐’…๐’—๐’‚๐’๐’„๐’† ๐‘ญ๐’๐’๐’… ๐‘บ๐’†๐’„๐’–๐’“๐’Š๐’•๐’š ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘ฌ๐’™๐’‘๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘ฐ๐’“๐’“๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’… ๐‘จ๐’ˆ๐’“๐’Š๐’„๐’–๐’๐’•๐’–๐’“๐’†

The State Department for Irrigation is intensifying the implementation of the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) as part of the Governmentโ€™s efforts to unlock the countryโ€™s agricultural potential, expand irrigated land and strengthen national food security.

The Department continues to pursue the Governmentโ€™s ambition of increasing the area under irrigation towards the Presidentโ€™s target of 2.5 million acres, through the development of irrigation infrastructure, efficient utilisation of available water resources and the mobilisation of public, private and development partner investments.

Principal Secretary for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho, CBS, has emphasised the need to explore all viable avenues, including strategic partnerships, private sector participation and innovative financing, to accelerate the expansion of irrigation and ensure that more land is brought into productive agricultural use.

The PS noted that irrigation remains a critical intervention in addressing the effects of climate variability, prolonged dry spells and declining reliability of rain fed agriculture. By providing a dependable source of water for crop production, irrigation enables farmers to produce food throughout the year, increase productivity and strengthen resilience to climate related shocks.
โ€œAchieving food security requires us to move beyond dependence on rainfall and make better use of the countryโ€™s available land and water resources,โ€ PS Kimotho said, emphasising the importance of coordinated investments and partnerships in scaling up irrigation development.

The implementation of NISIP provides a strategic framework for achieving this objective through five investment pathways, which bring together public irrigation development, Farmer Led Irrigation Development, private sector and commercial investments, irrigation development in arid and semi-arid areas, and the strengthening and resilience of existing irrigation schemes.

The approach enables the State Department to leverage the expertise, resources, technology and financing capacity of different stakeholders while ensuring that irrigation development remains inclusive, sustainable and responsive to the needs of farmers and communities.

Against this backdrop, PS Kimotho this morning received a delegation from the Kenya Water for Health Organisation (KWAHO) led by Executive Director Patrick Alubbe, together with Zacheus Muchiri, Programmes Expert, Welthunger Hilfe (WHH-Kenya), at the Ministry Headquarters.
The engagement focused on potential areas of collaboration between the State Department for Irrigation and the organisations, particularly initiatives aimed at strengthening water access, agricultural production and food security at community level.

A key area of discussion was the Micro-Irrigation for Schools Programme, which provides an opportunity for collaboration in promoting efficient water use for agricultural production within learning institutions. The programme demonstrates how small scale irrigation systems can support food production, enhance practical agricultural learning and improve the sustainable utilisation of water resources.

The proposed collaboration is expected to build on the respective expertise and experience of the institutions to support innovative and climate resilient approaches to irrigation, particularly at the community and institutional level.

The discussions reaffirmed the State Departmentโ€™s commitment to working with development partners, non-governmental organisations, private investors and other stakeholders to mobilise the resources and technical expertise required to accelerate irrigation development.

Through such partnerships, the Government seeks to expand agricultural production, strengthen resilience to climate change, create opportunities for farmers and contribute to a more food secure Kenya.
The State Department for Irrigation remains committed to implementing NISIP and unlocking the countryโ€™s irrigation potential as a key pillar of the Governmentโ€™s food and nutrition security agenda.

๐’๐ญ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ˆ๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐‘๐ž๐ฏ๐ข๐ž๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐“๐จ๐ฐ๐š๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐’๐ƒ๐† 2 ๐ˆ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ž๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐งIrrigation Secretary in charge of Land Recl...
19/08/2026

๐’๐ญ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ˆ๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐‘๐ž๐ฏ๐ข๐ž๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐“๐จ๐ฐ๐š๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐’๐ƒ๐† 2 ๐ˆ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ž๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง

Irrigation Secretary in charge of Land Reclamation, Climate Resilience and Irrigation Water Management, Mr.Tanui K Joel, this morning on behalf of the Principal Secretary CPA Ephantus Kimotho Kimani - PS, led the Senior Management in an auditorsโ€™ entry meeting on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2), which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030.

The audit team, led by Ms. Peris Gikandu, is undertaking an assessment of the State Departmentโ€™s implementation of SDG 2, including the extent to which its programmes and investments contribute to the achievement of food security and sustainable agricultural development.
Traditionally, the annual financial audit assesses whether public funds are utilized for their intended purposes, whether expenditure and revenue comply with applicable laws and regulations, and whether financial statements are prepared in accordance with established accounting standards and present accurate and complete information.

The SDG 2-focused assessment provides an opportunity to examine the contribution of irrigation investments towards Kenyaโ€™s broader food and nutrition security agenda, particularly through the expansion of productive and climate resilient agriculture.
The implementation of SDG 2 is closely aligned with the mandate and vision of the State Department for Irrigation, particularly through the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP 2025โ€“2035). The Plan provides a strategic framework for expanding irrigation development and enhancing agricultural productivity through five key pathways: expanded Farmer-Led Irrigation Development; enabled corporate agribusiness; high-performing public irrigation schemes; revitalized irrigation in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs); and maximized benefits from community irrigation schemes.

Through these pathways, the State Department is working to expand the area under irrigation to 2.5 million acres, enhance water use efficiency, strengthen climate resilience and increase agricultural productivity. The approach is aimed at reducing Kenyaโ€™s reliance on rain fed agriculture, which remains highly vulnerable to climate variability and prolonged droughts, while creating opportunities for year round food production.
The expansion and modernization of irrigation infrastructure is therefore central to achieving the Governmentโ€™s food security agenda. Reliable access to irrigation water enables farmers to increase production, diversify crops, improve farm incomes and contribute to stable food supplies throughout the year.

The State Departmentโ€™s irrigation investments also support the Sustainable Development Goals by promoting sustainable management of water resources, strengthening the resilience of agricultural systems and improving the capacity of farming communities to adapt to climate change.

As Kenya works towards the 2030 SDG targets, the State Department for Irrigation remains committed to accelerating irrigation development as a key pathway towards SDG 2: Zero Hunger, while contributing to sustainable agricultural transformation, improved livelihoods and national food security.

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