PS Ephantus Kimotho, WWF Kenya Forge Strategic Alliance to Boost Irrigation

By Victor Oyuko 

In a forward-looking meeting held at Maji House, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho, hosted Mr. Mohammed Awer, CEO of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Kenya, for high-level talks focused on collaboration in land and water resource management across Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs).

The meeting was not just a formality. It marked a significant step toward strengthening ties between the government and the conservation sector, with the shared goal of advancing irrigation development, climate adaptation, and sustainable land use. The discussions laid the foundation for a transformative partnership that aims to support both ecological recovery and food security in regions most vulnerable to climate change.

A Strategic Dialogue with Transformative Goals

The conversation between PS Kimotho and Mr. Awer centered on priority areas where the State Department for Irrigation and WWF Kenya can align their strengths. One key focus was the Feedlots Programme, a government-led initiative designed to enhance livestock production in ASAL counties by ensuring animals have access to consistent, irrigated pasture.

For regions plagued by drought, erratic rainfall, and degraded landscapes, the feedlots initiative is more than an agricultural project—it’s a lifeline. And through this new partnership, the programme now stands to benefit from WWF’s technical expertise, global best practices, and community-based approaches to sustainable land use and ecosystem conservation.

Restoring Water Catchments through Schools

One of the innovative proposals on the table involves supplying tree seedlings to schools across ASAL counties. This simple but powerful initiative aims to empower young learners to take part in reclaiming degraded water catchment areas, turning classrooms into launchpads for environmental stewardship.

By engaging students and teachers, the initiative fosters a culture of conservation from the grassroots level. It also enhances awareness around the importance of trees in water cycle restoration, soil retention, and microclimate regulation, critical factors in sustaining long-term irrigation and pasture development.

This idea, emerging from the PS’s meeting with WWF, reflects his deep belief in community involvement, especially among the youth, as a pillar of Kenya’s environmental and agricultural transformation.

Safeguarding Livelihoods Through Sustainable Land Use

Another key focus area identified in the meeting was the protection of livelihoods through sustainable land use practices. ASALs are home to millions of Kenyans whose lives depend directly on land and water. Yet, these are also the regions most affected by land degradation, overgrazing, deforestation, and climate shocks.

PS Kimotho and WWF Kenya shared a mutual understanding that environmental sustainability and economic stability go hand in hand. Their discussions underscored the importance of introducing integrated land management solutions, approaches that not only restore degraded land but also ensure that communities can earn a living from it.

From rotational grazing models to reforestation and conservation agriculture, this new alliance is geared toward creating a landscape where nature and livelihoods coexist.

Protecting Water Springs and Expanding Access

With water scarcity intensifying across Kenya’s ASALs, the protection of water springs in degraded areas featured prominently in the dialogue. Springs are often the only reliable water sources for entire communities, livestock, and even wildlife. Yet many have dried up due to land misuse and environmental degradation.

WWF Kenya’s experience in spring rehabilitation and watershed protection offers a timely and strategic advantage. Working together, both institutions aim to safeguard these vital sources, restoring them through afforestation, fencing, community-based monitoring, and improved catchment management.

This effort directly supports the department’s broader irrigation goals, ensuring consistent water availability for both domestic and agricultural use.

Water Harvesting and Sand Dams for Irrigated Pasture

One of the standout ideas discussed in the meeting is the promotion of water harvesting through the construction of sand dams, especially in dry zones where traditional dams may not be feasible. Sand dams, which trap rainwater beneath layers of sand, are low-cost, low-maintenance structures that provide year-round water availability.

These innovations are set to support irrigated pasture production for feedlots, creating a reliable supply of livestock fodder even during prolonged dry spells. By incorporating sand dams into Kenya’s irrigation framework, the government and WWF Kenya are embracing a climate-smart strategy that is tailored to the unique geography of ASAL regions.

This approach aligns closely with PS Kimotho’s long-term vision of building resilience through smart infrastructure, rather than waiting for rains that may never come.

Building Synergies for Maximum Impact

At the heart of the meeting was a shared commitment to building synergies. Both parties acknowledged that lasting impact can only be achieved through collaborative implementation, bringing together government agencies, non-governmental organizations, local communities, private sector actors, and international partners.

This inclusive model of engagement will help accelerate the rollout of integrated land reclamation and irrigation interventions across Kenya’s drylands. It will also ensure that resources are used efficiently, knowledge is shared, and solutions are scaled sustainably.

Through structured stakeholder engagements, policy alignment, and joint programming, this new partnership stands as a blueprint for how institutions can come together to deliver collective progress.

A Future Anchored on Sustainability and Inclusion

The meeting between PS Ephantus Kimotho and WWF Kenya is a powerful example of leadership that listens, learns, and adapts. It shows that the government is open to partnerships that place people and nature at the center of development.

By focusing on schools, springs, sand dams, and sustainable land practices, the alliance goes beyond bureaucracy and enters the realm of transformation. It offers a fresh, pragmatic model of how climate resilience, food security, and environmental justice can be pursued together.

This collaboration will not only make irrigation more effective, but also more equitable—ensuring that even the most marginalized communities in Kenya’s ASALs are equipped to thrive.

A Partnership to Watch

As PS Kimotho continues to lead reforms within the State Department for Irrigation, his consistent emphasis on partnerships and grassroots engagement continues to shape Kenya’s development narrative.

His meeting with WWF Kenya marks the beginning of a promising chapter—one defined not by lofty ambitions, but by grounded, practical, and inclusive solutions. It reflects a renewed energy in government leadership: one that welcomes innovation, values conservation, and is unafraid to collaborate.

With climate change posing a growing threat to water, food, and land, these joint efforts will be crucial to building a Kenya that is not only greener but stronger, more just, and more self-reliant.

The courtesy call between PS Ephantus Kimotho and WWF Kenya’s CEO Mohammed Awer was more than a routine meeting. It was a catalyst for real change. A declaration that environmental sustainability and community resilience are not competing goals, but mutually reinforcing imperatives.

As Kenya moves to expand its irrigation reach, especially in the ASAL counties, this new alliance is set to provide technical expertise, local solutions, and strategic coordination that will ensure every drop of water, every patch of land, and every seedling planted contributes to a better tomorrow.

With leadership at the helm that prioritizes action, inclusion, and collaboration, the future of Kenya’s drylands is not just hopeful, it is within reach.