State Department for Irrigation

As we celebrate our nation's freedom and progress, we remain committed to expanding irrigation, enhancing food security, and building a resilient and prosperous Kenya for all.

Principal Secretary for Irrigation CPA Ephantus Kimotho, CBS, today joined His Excellency the President Dr. William Samoei Ruto, PhD.,CGH, during the President's development tour of Griftu in Wajir West Constituency, Wajir County.

The visit comes ahead of the 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations, which will be hosted in Wajir County, underscoring the Government's commitment to accelerating development and improving livelihoods in Kenya's Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs).

As part of the tour, PS Kimotho inspected the Griftu Water Pan Project and visited Tusmo Farm to assess the progress and impact of ongoing irrigation and land reclamation interventions being implemented by the State Department for Irrigation under a Presidential Directive.

The Griftu Water Pan Project is a flagship intervention under the Department of Land Reclamation aimed at enhancing water availability for both agricultural and livestock production in the region. Covering approximately 5,000 acres, the project comprises a series of water pans with a combined storage capacity of 750,000 cubic metres, providing a reliable source of water for irrigation, livestock watering, and pasture development.

Upon full operationalization, the project is expected to generate approximately Ksh 288 million annually from agricultural and livestock-related economic activities. The initiative will directly benefit about 250 households while indirectly supporting more than 700 additional households through increased agricultural productivity, employment opportunities, and expanded agribusiness activities.

The Gruftu feedlot project is strategically designed to strengthen the livestock value chain by supporting feedlot development and ensuring a sustainable water supply for livestock production. By improving access to water, the project will contribute significantly to increased red meat production, enhanced pasture establishment, and improved livestock health and productivity.

In addition, the intervention is expected to bolster food and nutrition security through increased household incomes and diversified agricultural production. The project will also stimulate local economic growth by creating employment opportunities, supporting small-scale enterprises, and attracting investment in agriculture and livestock related businesses.

Importantly, the Griftu Water Pan Project forms part of the Government's broader agenda of building climate resilience in drought-prone areas. Through improved water harvesting and storage infrastructure, the project will reduce vulnerability to recurrent droughts, enhance water security, and support sustainable livelihoods for communities in Wajir County.

The State Department for Irrigation remains committed to implementing transformative irrigation and land reclamation projects that promote food security, economic empowerment, climate resilience, and sustainable development across the country.

Accompanying the Principal Secretary were Secretary for Administration Mr. Yatich Kipkemei, MBS, the Director of Land Reclamation and Climate Resilience Mr. Thandi Githae and Director Irrigation Water Management, Mr. Maurice Opondo as well as senior officials from the National and County Governments, among other stakeholders.

A billion-shilling irrigation dream is taking shape as Kenya eyes Portugal’s expertise to transform farming and unlock year-round food production. Details in comments.

Photo: Ephantus Kimotho/Facebook.

𝑲𝒆𝒏𝒚𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒈𝒂𝒍 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝑨𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑰𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

Friday, 29th May 2026

The State Department for Irrigation is seeking strategic collaboration with the Government of Portugal to support the implementation of the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan, which aims to bring an additional one million acres under irrigation across the country.

This follows a high-level engagement between the Principal Secretary for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho Kimani - PS, and the Portuguese Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Paulo Neves Pocinho,during a courtesy call by the PS at the Embassy of Portugal in Nairobi.

The discussions focused on strengthening Kenya–Portugal cooperation in irrigation development through technical support, investment partnerships, and knowledge exchange geared towards transforming Kenya’s agricultural sector and enhancing national food security.

Kenya is keen on leveraging Portugal’s expertise and experience in sustainable irrigation infrastructure development, particularly in the modernization and expansion of irrigation and drainage systems. The proposed collaboration seeks to support strategic investments in the construction of dams, reliable water abstraction systems, improvement of water conveyance infrastructure, and canal lining to minimize water losses and improve irrigation efficiency.

The partnership will also explore opportunities for Portuguese investors to participate in large-scale irrigation development through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), targeting commercial irrigation and food production projects aimed at scaling up corporate agribusiness and agricultural productivity.

In addition, the discussions highlighted the importance of supporting smallholder farmers through farmer-led irrigation initiatives. Portugal’s Small Projects Fund was identified as a potential avenue for financing high-impact community-based irrigation projects that will empower farmers, improve household incomes, and contribute to enhanced food security and rural livelihoods.

The cooperation further seeks to strengthen water resource development to improve water availability for irrigation and enhance farmers’ resilience to climate change, especially in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), which constitute a significant portion of the country. Expanding sustainable irrigation agriculture in these regions is expected to promote year-round farming, reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture, and improve national agricultural output.

Accompanying the Principal Secretary was the Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, Ms. Florence Ndai.

The Irrigation Secretary, Mr. Joel Tanui, today led a high-level leaders’ sensitization meeting on the Bura Irrigation Scheme Investment Plan in Hola, Tana River County.

The consultative meeting brought together the County Commissioner, political leaders, community representatives, clan elders, and management from the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) to deliberate on the proposed large-scale investment programme aimed at revitalizing and expanding the Bura Irrigation Scheme.
During the meeting, leaders were briefed on Government plans to onboard private investors to undertake large-scale commercial production of rice and sugarcane on approximately 150,000 acres within the scheme.

The proposed investment is expected to transform Bura into a major agricultural production hub and significantly contribute to the country’s food security agenda.
The investors are projected to commit up to USD 1 billion towards the development and modernization of irrigation infrastructure, including water conveyance systems, canal rehabilitation, farm development works, drainage systems, and mechanized agricultural production for rice and sugarcane farming.

Speaking during the engagement, Mr. Tanui noted that the investment will accelerate the expansion of irrigated agriculture, increase agricultural productivity, and enhance efficient utilization of available water resources within the Tana River Basin. He further emphasized that the project aligns with the Government’s broader agenda of increasing acreage under irrigation, reducing dependence on food imports, and strengthening climate resilience through sustainable irrigation development.

Once implemented, the project is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities, stimulate agro-industrial growth, improve household incomes, and economically empower local communities through value chain development and related business opportunities. The initiative is also expected to enhance Kenya’s self-sufficiency in rice and sugar production, thereby reducing the national import bill.

Leaders welcomed the initiative and underscored the importance of community participation, transparency, and inclusivity throughout the implementation process. It was agreed that mapping of community settlements and physical planning activities will commence to ensure orderly development and facilitate a consultative process in onboarding private investors onto the existing land while safeguarding community interests.

𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩’𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮

Water Cabinet Secretary, Eng. Eric Mugaa, has emphasized the Kenya Kwanza Government’s commitment to ensuring food security for the Nation. Speaking during the official opening of a two-day Conference dubbed; Getting Wise: Measuring Human Experiences with Water to Support the Africa Union’s Water Vision 2063, at UN Headquarters, Gigiri, Eng. Mugaa observed that access to water is not only a right but a way to dignify people.

“It is a way to feed the nation, because without water, there can’t be irrigation, especially for Kenya, without water storage. Food security is key to this administration’s agenda”.

The CS however said that there is need to go beyond water availability to actual infrastructure development through putting in place financing plans and partnerships to ensure that Kenyans can access water comfortably. He noted that access to water for all opens avenues for economic prosperity through creation of job opportunities.

“We are in the process of developing what we are calling K-RISE, the Kenya Resilient irrigation and Sustainable Economies, which is first of all to ensure there is water security”, the Cabinet Secretary revealed and added, "we also need a centralized data systems”.

Eng, Mugaa, who said that he is both a practitioner in the water and sanitation sector and also a consumer, said that there is need for a paradigm shift from the percentages of water connectivity to the stability of that connectivity.

“Percentage connectivity in the country is around 74 percent. Does this tell the true story? That young woman in Turkana, Kondele in Kisumu or in kajiado, might tell a very different story from all of you who are attending this conference at UN Headquarters.Our major concern is about percentage connectivity, the number of beneficiaries and connections. Does anybody care to follow up how stable is that connection?’ the CS posed and added, “This tells us that we need s paradigm shift, a mindset change on the metrics we use in measuring the comfortability and access to water to how efficient it is. We need a genuine conversation to achieve this”.

CS Mugaa revealed that his Ministry has entered a cooperation agreement with North Western University on how to measure human experiences on water saying that there is a major need to go beyond water availability and infrastructure development to how people access and use water in their lives.
The CS added that his Ministry is also exploring avenues to foster opportunities for innovation to promote integrated water resource management and sustainable systems for the youth through partnerships and collaborations with development partners, the private sector, County Governments, key stakeholders and like-minded organizations noting that the world is a global village where progress can be accelerated without reinventing the wheel.

The Governor, County Government of Laikipia and Chair of the Council of Governors, Water and Natural Resources Committee, Joshua Irungu, who was also attended the opening ceremony, said that in some Counties, women walk for more than 15 kilometres in search of water and in most rural areas, concern is more about availability and not the cleanliness of water.

“In some places, we have people who compete with elephants and donkeys who will take water first”, Governor Irungu emphasized and added “ Lets bring all people on board especially the users both downstream and upstream”.

Ends…

𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙀 𝘿𝙀𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝙄𝙍𝙍𝙄𝙂𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝙄𝙉𝙎𝙋𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙎 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙂𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝙉𝙔𝘼𝙈𝘼𝙅𝙄 𝙄𝙍𝙍𝙄𝙂𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙅𝙀𝘾𝙏 𝙄𝙉 𝙃𝙊𝙈𝘼𝘽𝘼𝙔 𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙏𝙔.

The Government has intensified its oversight of the on-going construction of Nyamaji Irrigation Project in Suba North Sub-County, Homabay County, in its efforts to ensure quality control and structural integrity of the irrigation infrastructure.

An inspection team from the State Department for Irrigation, led by the Resident Engineer, Clinton Waswa, was on the site to conduct geo-technical studies for the proposed a 4,500m³ reinforced concrete storage reservoir.

The team, which included: Geologist Moses Misongo, Eng. Janet Mwende and Geoffrey Nyakundi, Director, Regolma Limited (the Contractor) carried out geo-technical studies of the excavated reservoir site to inform its ability to carry both dead and live loads that is associated with the proposed structure.

The studies established that the excavation has been done to the required depth while the blinding, bar bending and preparation for concreting the reservoir's base are on-going.

Implemented in two phases, Phase one of Nyamaji Irrigation Project commenced in September 2025 and its progress is currently at 54%. Phase one of the irrigation project has a number of components, which are at varying stages of completion.

The construction of the pump-house stands at 90 %, the installation of a 3-kilometre twin 315mm diameter rising main pipeline at 95%, construction of an Irrigation Water Users Association (IWUA) Office at 95%, excavation of the reservoir site at 98% while the construction of the 4,500m³ reinforced concrete reservoir on top of Got Rabour Hill stands at 20%.

Phase Two of the project, currently at the planning stage, will involve equipping of the pump house, installation of a solar power plant and the construction of distribution and infield connection systems to the farms.

Upon completion, Nyamaji Irrigation Project is expected to place 1,500 acres under irrigation with projected net revenue generation of Ksh.200,000 per acre, per season.The initiative anticipates to create at least 6,000 direct jobs and an additional 12,000 indirect employment opportunities for residents of Homabay County and Kenyans at large.

The Project is in line with the government’s BETA agenda enhance to transform the agricultural sector by placing 1.5 Million acres under irrigation in the next 10 years in its efforts to enhance household incomes, create employment opportunities and boost the country’s food security situation.

Ends

𝘽𝙍𝙄𝘿𝙂𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙆𝙀𝙉𝙔𝘼’𝙎 𝙍𝙄𝘾𝙀 𝘿𝙀𝙁𝙄𝘾𝙄𝙏 𝙏𝙃𝙍𝙊𝙐𝙂𝙃 𝙄𝙍𝙍𝙄𝙂𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉-𝙇𝙀𝘿 𝙄𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙑𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎

Today, the Irrigation Secretary in charge of Land Reclamation, Climate Resilience and Irrigation Water Management, Mr. Tanui K Joel, on behalf of the Principal Secretary for Irrigation CPA Ephantus Kimotho Kimani - PS, officially commissioned the National Baseline Survey for Rice Production aimed at supporting interventions under the Rice Deficit Reduction Program.

The baseline survey is designed to collect comprehensive and reliable data that will guide the implementation of targeted interventions intended to increase rice production across the country. The exercise will cover major rice-producing irrigation schemes as well as emerging rice growing areas under both public and community irrigation schemes.

The survey will assess key areas including acreage under rice production, irrigation infrastructure, water availability, production capacity, mechanization levels, seed varieties, farmer productivity, post-harvest handling, and market access. The findings are expected to provide critical insights that will inform policy decisions, resource allocation, and investment planning within the irrigation sector.

The survey findings will further provide a strong foundation for the implementation of strategic interventions under the Rice Deficit Reduction Program whose objective is to enhance national rice production, strengthen food security, improve farmer livelihoods, and reduce the country’s dependence on rice imports.

Through the Rice Intensification Program, the State Department for Irrigation seeks to bridge the national rice deficit currently estimated at approximately 700,000 metric tonnes annually. The initiative is expected to significantly boost local rice production and save the country over KSh 56 billion spent annually on rice imports.

The program also aligns with the Government’s broader agenda on food security, climate resilience, and sustainable agricultural transformation through expansion and modernization of irrigation infrastructure, efficient water management, adoption of climate-smart technologies, and increased support to farmers in irrigation schemes across the country.