PS Kimotho and UN Join Forces to Advance Kenya’s Irrigation under NISIP

On Monday, the Principal Secretary for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho, welcomed a high-level delegation of senior representatives from United Nations agencies, including the World Food Programme (WFP), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The meeting centered on a bold national blueprint; the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP); that seeks to redefine Kenya’s irrigation future.

This was more than a courtesy call. It was a strategic dialogue between Kenya’s State Department for Irrigation and the UN system, charting a common path to address food security, climate resilience, and inclusive agricultural growth.

NISIP: A Vision Anchored in Five Pathways

At the heart of the discussions was NISIP, Kenya’s comprehensive irrigation framework designed to bring over 1.2 million acres under irrigation. The plan is not merely about increasing acreage; it is a multi-dimensional strategy to modernize irrigation and unlock agriculture’s role as a driver of economic transformation.

NISIP is structured around five distinct pathways:

1. Community Irrigation Schemes – Strengthening local irrigation infrastructure to serve rural households.

2. Farmer-Led Irrigation Development – Empowering individual smallholders to manage systems and integrate into markets.

3. Corporate Agribusiness Irrigation; Attracting large-scale investments that leverage private sector innovation.

4. Revitalization of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs); Unlocking potential in traditionally marginalized regions.

5. High-Performing Public Irrigation Schemes ; Enhancing efficiency and productivity in existing government-managed schemes.

By combining these five avenues, NISIP offers a holistic approach that responds to Kenya’s climate challenges, population growth, and need for sustainable food systems.

Farmer-Led Irrigation: Transforming Seven Million Farmers

Among the most transformative pillars is farmer-led irrigation development (FLID). PS Kimotho emphasized its importance in reaching seven million farmers nationwide, shifting them from subsistence production to commercial, market-driven farming.

FLID gives farmers ownership of their irrigation systems, enabling them to adopt low-cost technologies, diversify crops, and integrate with agribusiness value chains. The model ensures inclusivity by targeting smallholders; who make up the bulk of Kenya’s farming population; and giving them tools to withstand climate variability.

Stories of farmers already benefiting from FLID mirror the resilience envisioned in NISIP: households moving from rain-fed uncertainty to stable, reliable production that fuels both family nutrition and income growth.

Micro-Irrigation in Schools: Cultivating Nutrition and Stewardship

PS Kimotho also highlighted ongoing initiatives that extend beyond farms into learning institutions. The micro-irrigation programme in schools reflects a forward-looking strategy to link education, food, and the environment.

By installing small-scale irrigation facilities in schools, students gain access to nutritious meals while being exposed to practical lessons in sustainable agriculture and environmental care. These programmes nurture a generation that understands climate stewardship and appreciates the role of technology in building resilient communities.

Such initiatives exemplify how irrigation can deliver social and environmental dividends beyond immediate economic gains.

Exploring Climate Financing: Green Bonds and Beyond

Recognizing that irrigation expansion requires significant resources, PS Kimotho underscored the need to harness innovative climate financing instruments. Among these, green bonds stand out as a promising tool to mobilize investment while advancing environmental sustainability.

By linking irrigation projects to climate adaptation and mitigation outcomes, Kenya positions itself to attract financing from global markets eager to support sustainable development. The adoption of such instruments represents a shift towards blended financing, where public, private, and international resources converge for maximum impact.

This vision reflects not just ambition but pragmatism: building irrigation resilience requires financing that is predictable, scalable, and accountable.

UN Agencies Align with Kenya’s Irrigation Vision

The UN delegation reaffirmed that NISIP aligns closely with their integrated programmes on food security, climate resilience, and adaptation. For agencies like WFP, IFAD, FAO, and UNDP, irrigation represents a strategic entry point to strengthen rural livelihoods, reduce vulnerability, and create inclusive opportunities.

The agencies expressed readiness to deepen collaboration, noting that over eleven partners are mobilizing resources in support of Kenya’s irrigation investment plan. This collective alignment illustrates the power of partnerships; where national priorities converge with international commitments to sustainable development goals.

Such collaboration is not symbolic; it is instrumental in bridging financing gaps, sharing technical expertise, and ensuring accountability in project delivery.

Irrigation as a Cornerstone of Food Security

The meeting underscored irrigation as a cornerstone of Kenya’s food security agenda. With climate change eroding the reliability of rainfall, irrigation is the bridge between vulnerability and resilience.

By expanding irrigation coverage, Kenya not only safeguards its food supply but also stabilizes markets, promotes nutrition, and reduces the risks of humanitarian crises linked to drought. The integration of UN support further enhances the credibility and sustainability of this approach.

Through NISIP, PS Kimotho has positioned irrigation not as a narrow sectoral intervention, but as a cross-cutting enabler of social, economic, and environmental progress.

Private Sector Participation: Unlocking Scale and Innovation

One of NISIP’s strengths lies in its deliberate emphasis on attracting private sector participation. While public schemes and donor support remain critical, sustainable scale will depend on corporate agribusinesses, local entrepreneurs, and innovators who can bring technology, capital, and efficiency.

By creating pathways for corporate-led irrigation and blended financing, NISIP ensures that Kenya’s irrigation sector is future-proof; responsive to market dynamics, open to technological disruption, and resilient against climate pressures.

The role of UN agencies in supporting this shift is crucial, as they bring both convening power and credibility to mobilize private investment in alignment with public objectives.

A Shared Agenda for Resilience and Growth

The dialogue between PS Kimotho and the UN delegation illustrated the convergence of national priorities and international development goals. Both sides recognize that food security, climate resilience, and rural transformation cannot be pursued in silos.

Instead, they require integrated approaches that connect infrastructure to people, financing to sustainability, and innovation to inclusivity. NISIP embodies this philosophy, while the UN agencies’ readiness to support reflects global recognition of Kenya’s strategic direction.

Building a Legacy of Irrigation

The Monday meeting was not an end in itself; it was a beginning. The path ahead involves translating the promise of NISIP into tangible results across counties and communities. With 1.2 million acres targeted, the stakes are high, but so too is the potential impact.

Under PS Kimotho’s stewardship, Kenya is charting an irrigation agenda that is ambitious, inclusive, and future-focused. By aligning with the UN system and embracing innovative financing, the State Department for Irrigation has placed Kenya at the forefront of climate-smart agricultural transformation.

The success of NISIP will not only be measured in acres irrigated, but in lives changed, markets strengthened, and resilience built. It is a story of how partnerships, vision, and leadership can converge to secure a nation’s food future.

Irrigation as a Driver of Hope

The high-level UN engagement with PS Ephantus Kimotho reaffirmed that irrigation is more than an infrastructure agenda; it is a driver of hope and resilience. NISIP provides the framework, the UN provides support, and Kenya’s farmers provide the energy to make it real.

Together, they form a coalition capable of transforming challenges into opportunities, ensuring that irrigation becomes the lifeblood of Kenya’s sustainable development.

This is the essence of the partnership: a shared journey to secure not just food, but dignity, resilience, and prosperity for generations to come.

Article by Victor Patience Oyuko. To buy coffee Mpesa 0708 883 777