PS Kimotho and GoK Spokesman Hon. Mwaura Review Progress of Kenya Kwanza Irrigation Programmes

By Victor Patience Oyuko

Kenya is no longer tiptoeing around the issue of food insecurity—it is confronting it head-on. Under the Kenya Kwanza administration, a bold new chapter is unfolding in the country’s agricultural history, one driven by a clear resolve to transform irrigation from a supplementary intervention into a cornerstone of national development.

On Tuesday, in a meeting that symbolized the synergy between communication and implementation arms of government, Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho hosted Government Spokesperson Hon. Isaac Mwaura. The agenda was clear and urgent: review the progress of irrigation programmes rolled out under the Kenya Kwanza administration and assess the road ahead.

Irrigation Expansion: Kenya's Quiet Revolution

One of the most striking outcomes of these recent interventions is the considerable expansion in irrigated acreage across the country. This is not a mere technical achievement—it’s a quiet revolution aimed at uplifting communities, ensuring household food supply, and strengthening the national economy from the grassroots.

Where once vast tracts of land lay at the mercy of erratic rainfall, irrigation infrastructure is now breathing life into dormant soils. This is the tangible expression of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), where government investment directly empowers ordinary citizens—especially smallholder farmers—to produce, sell, and feed the nation.

How many more families will transition from food reliance to food surplus because of these interventions? How many children will attend school with full stomachs, and how many markets will flourish because water—nature’s most vital asset—is finally being controlled and channeled with precision?

Strategic Infrastructure: Laying the Groundwork for Generational Change

PS Kimotho and Hon. Mwaura’s discussions were anchored in the realization that Kenya’s future food security depends not just on ambition, but on infrastructure. Across counties, deliberate efforts are being made to expedite the completion of strategic irrigation projects.

From dams to canals to community-managed irrigation schemes, this infrastructure is more than concrete and pipes—it’s a guarantee that farmers will have water when they need it most. It is also a signal to every Kenyan that this administration is determined to reduce our reliance on food imports and shield citizens from the harsh consequences of climate change.

Who will tell the story of the farmer in arid Garissa, or semi-arid Kitui, who now grows green maize in once-dry fields? Who will celebrate the women’s cooperatives forming around irrigated horticulture schemes in Kwale, or the youth finding dignity in agribusiness in Baringo?

A Unified National Approach

PS Ephantus Kimotho, whose leadership continues to quietly shape the backbone of Kenya’s irrigation strategy, emphasized the importance of coordination. Under his stewardship, the State Department for Irrigation has aligned its work with the broader vision of Kenya Kwanza, ensuring that national and county-level efforts are not working in silos, but marching in unison.

This is what sets the current approach apart—well-coordinated and sustainable interventions, designed not just to work in one season, but to last across generations. From planning to implementation, every action taken today has one eye on tomorrow. Every dam being built is not just for current needs, but for droughts we haven’t yet seen, and communities yet to be born.

Bottom-Up Economics in Action

The Kenya Kwanza administration’s Bottom-Up philosophy is not an abstract political slogan—it is playing out in farms, villages, and markets every day. Irrigation is at the heart of this agenda because it offers something rare: the power to turn dependency into productivity, hunger into enterprise.

What makes irrigation so powerful is its multiplier effect. One irrigation project can spark employment, enhance local trade, reduce food prices, and stabilize entire communities. It can allow a mother to sell tomatoes at a nearby market instead of walking for hours. It can reduce conflict in regions where water scarcity has long fueled tension.

The Kenya Kwanza administration has understood this, and the government’s spokesperson, Hon. Isaac Mwaura, came not just to observe progress but to reaffirm public support for it. His visit signaled the growing political will behind this movement and the importance of ensuring that the public remains well-informed and engaged.

Staying the Course: The Path to Food Self-Sufficiency

While the achievements so far are commendable, both PS Kimotho and Hon. Mwaura acknowledged that more work lies ahead. Expanding acreage is only half the story—maintenance, water governance, community ownership, and integration with markets will determine long-term success.

But the vision is clear. Kenya is not just inching toward food self-sufficiency; it is walking there with intention. The strategic direction is set, the partnerships are forming, and the groundwork is being laid not just in policy rooms but in the fields of Narok, the deltas of Tana, and the hills of Elgeyo Marakwet.

If this trajectory continues, future generations of Kenyans will inherit a country where hunger is no longer a national threat, but a historical memory.

A New Dawn for Kenyan Agriculture

The meeting between PS Ephantus Kimotho and Hon. Isaac Mwaura was more than a ceremonial exchange—it was a reaffirmation of the government's deep-seated belief that Kenya can, and must, feed itself. The considerable expansion in irrigation coverage is a loud answer to a quiet crisis. And every drop of water now flowing through those systems is a drop of hope, a spark of dignity, and a promise of independence.

As citizens, we must ask: what role can we play in this transformation? How do we support, monitor, and expand these gains to every county and constituency?

Because in the end, food security is not just a policy goal—it is a patriotic responsibility. And under the watch of leaders like PS Kimotho and voices like Hon. Mwaura’s, Kenya’s journey to agricultural resilience has never looked more promising.

Article by Victor Patience Oyuko. To buy coffee: 0708883777