KENYA MOJA

  Irrigation in Kenya has always occupied a strange space in public policy. It is constantly spoken about, frequently promised, and endlessly cited as the solution to food insecurity . Yet for decades, it remained marginal in actual investment outcomes, fragmented in governance, and slow in delivery.  Understanding why requires moving beyond canals, dams, and acreage figures , and examining irrigation through the lens of political economy . Who decides what gets built, where money flows, how risks are shared, and who ultimately benefits. At its core, irrigation is not just a technical intervention. It is an economic choice, a political negotiation, and a governance challenge rolled into one. That is why progress in irrigation has historically lagged behind its strategic importance, even as Kenya’s population grew, climate risks intensified, and dependence on rain-fed agriculture became increasingly untenable. Why Irrigation Has Always Been Politically Attractive but Practic...

  Kenya’s ambition to transform agriculture and secure national food supplies is no longer a matter of theory but a matter of urgent policy action. With food production increasingly constrained by climate variability , erratic rainfall , and rising demand, the country is pushing to expand irrigated agriculture and modernise its water management systems . But as the State Department for Irrigation leads this push, the question arises not just how much more land can be irrigated, but how much water is optimised and used effectively. This is the core of the next irrigation frontier: the balance between expanding land under irrigation and ensuring that every drop of water delivers maximum productive value. Expanding Irrigated Land: Ambition Meets Reality Kenya’s National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) provides the framework for long-term growth in irrigation. The plan seeks to bring an additional one million acres under irrigation by 2030, building on about 747,000 acr...

The debate on irrigation in Kenya often gravitates toward scale. Big dams, vast canals, and thousands of acres under command sound impressive and, in many cases, are necessary. Yet food security is not only a function of size. It is shaped by how quickly water reaches crops, how efficiently it is used, and how closely production decisions reflect the realities of farmers on the ground. In this context, farmer-led irrigation deserves far more attention than it usually receives, not as a replacement for large schemes, but as a powerful engine of food production that works quietly, consistently, and at speed. Across the country, thousands of smallholder farmers are already irrigating their land using water pans , shallow wells , boreholes , river abstractions , and small pumps . These systems rarely make headlines, yet collectively they contribute a substantial share of vegetables, cereals, fodder , and horticultural produce that feeds urban and rural markets every day. Their streng...

  As the new year begins in 2026, I found myself thinking about you. Not just as a Principal Secretary dealing with government systems and paperwork, but as a man deeply focused on water, how it moves, how it is stored, and how it gives life and hope. Most people look at a map of Kenya and see borders and regions. I imagine that when you look at the same map, you see water paths, where it flows freely, where it is blocked, and where the land is still dry and waiting. At the start of this new year, I wanted to write to you directly, to acknowledge the quiet, demanding, and important work you have been carrying over the past few years. The Weight of the Quiet Revolution There is a special kind of pressure that comes with being responsible for a country’s food supply. It is not the loud pressure of politics. It is the quiet, constant knowledge that when a pump fails in Mwea or a canal fills with silt in Turkana , a family somewhere eats a little less. You have carried that responsib...

  The Government has taken a decisive step toward reshaping Kenya’s food production future with the signing of a KES 40 billion contract for the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing of the Galana Athi Dam . The agreement, concluded yesterday, Tuesday, marks one of the most consequential irrigation investments Kenya has made in recent years, not because of its size alone, but because of what it unlocks for food security , jobs, and long-term economic stability. At the centre of this moment is a dam designed to store 305 million cubic metres of water, paired with a modern irrigation water conveyance system that will finally give scale and certainty to the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project . For years, Galana has been discussed as potential. This contract begins the process of turning that potential into predictable, measurable production. A Contract That Signals Serious Intent The signing of the Galana Athi Dam contract reflects sustained leadership within the ir...

The commissioning of the Line Saba and Engashura Dispensary Micro-Irrigation and Community Boreholes Project marks a significant milestone in the Government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen community resilience, expand food security, and improve access to clean water at the grassroots level. Presiding over the event today, Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho reaffirmed the State Department for Irrigation ’s commitment to practical, people-centered development interventions that directly improve lives. Located in Kiamaina Ward , Bahati Constituency , the project is set to benefit more than 650 households, the Engashura Dispensary , and surrounding communities by providing reliable and clean water for domestic use, micro-irrigation, and health facility operations. Implemented by the National Irrigation Authority under the State Department for Irrigation, the initiative demonstrates how well-planned water investments can unlock multiple social and economic gains within a si...