KENYA MOJA

Kenya’s bold transition from rain-fed agriculture to reliable, large-scale irrigated farming took a significant step forward today as the Principal Secretary, State Department for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho , chaired a high-level stakeholders’ engagement meeting on the construction of the Athi/Galana Dam . The project is a flagship initiative under the Presidential Declaration to construct fifty (50) mega dams across the country , a transformative agenda aimed at expanding irrigation infrastructure, enhancing national food security, and strengthening climate resilience. The Athi/Galana Dam is strategically positioned as one of the most consequential water infrastructure investments in Kenya’s history. Designed to support large-scale agricultural production and integrated water use, the dam will play a central role in unlocking the full potential of the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project , one of the country’s most ambitious agricultural undertakings. A KSh 40 Billion Mileston...

The Government has continued to place irrigation at the centre of Kenya’s food security and climate resilience agenda , with renewed focus on performance, accountability and service delivery. This commitment was evident when the Principal Secretary, State Department for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho , led his management team in a comprehensive review of the Department’s performance for the first half of the 2025/26 Financial Year, which concluded in December 2025. The review, held on Tuesday, 20th January, 2026, provided an opportunity to take stock of progress made, reflect on lessons learned and set clear priorities for the remainder of the financial year. This first Heads of Department meeting of the year was more than a routine administrative exercise. It was a strategic moment to reaffirm the Department’s mandate to deliver reliable irrigation services to Kenyans while strengthening internal systems that support efficiency, transparency and impact. Under the leadership of I...

The Government has continued to deepen its commitment to inclusive economic growth by placing young people at the centre of national development initiatives. This was evident at Kasarani in Nairobi , where Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho joined His Excellency President Dr. William Samoei Ruto and Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki during the Nyota Start-Up Capital Disbursement Programme for beneficiaries from Nairobi, Kajiado and Kiambu counties. The event brought together senior government leaders, county representatives and thousands of young entrepreneurs whose ambitions reflect a new phase of grassroots enterprise development. While the Nyota Programme is broad in scope, its objectives speak directly to the future of productive sectors such as agriculture and irrigation, where youth participation remains essential for sustainability, innovation and growth. For the State Department for Irrigation , youth enterprise development is not a parallel agenda but a...

  The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to water security , food security and sustainable development through a high-level consultative meeting chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, Eng. Eric Mugaa , at Maji House in Nairobi. The meeting brought together senior leadership from across the water and irrigation sectors, including the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho , the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Water and Sanitation, Mr. Julius Korir, and Chief Executive Officers from all water and irrigation agencies. At its core, the engagement was about alignment. It reflected a shared recognition that Kenya’s water, sanitation and irrigation challenges are interconnected and that meaningful progress depends on coordinated delivery across institutions, levels of government and sectors. For the State Department for Irrigation, the meeting provided an important platform to situate ir...

  The Government has placed forest restoration at the centre of Kenya’s climate resilience and water security agenda, recognising that healthy catchments are the foundation upon which irrigation, food production and community livelihoods depend. This reality came into sharp focus during a consultative engagement led by Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho with the Oloolua Forest Community Forest Association and a wide range of stakeholders, aimed at restoring the Ngong Forest landscape under the 15 Billion Tree Growing Initiative. The engagement brought together more than 20 forest user groups drawn from communities living around the Oloolua, Ngong Hills and Kibiko forest blocks. What made this meeting significant was not just the numbers, but the shared understanding that forest restoration is no longer a peripheral environmental issue. It is a core economic and social priority, directly linked to water availability, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods. Forests as the Back...

  THE GOVERNMENT has reached a moment in Kenya’s irrigation journey where infrastructure alone is no longer the main constraint. Dams, canals, pumps and conveyance systems remain important, but the real question now is how water is governed, allocated, priced, monitored and sustained over time. This is where irrigation success will either be secured or quietly undermined. In this context, the growing role of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is not peripheral. It is central to whether Kenya’s irrigation expansion delivers lasting value. Kenya’s irrigation ambition is clear. Through the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan and the Presidential Irrigation Expansion agenda , the country is deliberately shifting away from overdependence on rain-fed agriculture. What is less visible, but equally critical, is the governance machinery that must support this expansion. Without strong institutions, reliable data, fair water allocation rules and cost recovery mech...