High Grand Falls Dam Moves A Step Closer as PS Kimotho Chairs Strategic Meeting

Irrigation Principal Secretary CPA Ephantus Kimotho today led a high-level meeting focused on one of Kenya’s most ambitious water and agricultural transformation projects: the High Grand Falls Dam. The session, co-chaired with the Principal Secretary for Energy, Alex Wachira, brought together key technical teams and decision-makers to fast-track the planning, coordination, and delivery mechanisms required to drive the project forward.

The tone of the meeting was clear and firm. Kenya cannot continue expanding its food systems on rain-fed agriculture alone. The country needs large, dependable water storage infrastructure capable of unlocking irrigation at a scale that truly alters national food production. PS Kimotho anchored the session with this message, making it clear that the High Grand Falls Dam is not just a construction project. It is a long-term, multi-sectoral investment designed to secure Kenya’s food future.

Why High Grand Falls Matters Now More Than Ever

The High Grand Falls Dam is emerging as one of the most important pillars in the Kenya Kwanza administration’s plan to strengthen agricultural productivity and climate resilience. Its strategic importance is tied to several critical realities that PS Kimotho highlighted during the meeting.

Kenya currently has just 762,000 acres under irrigation, a small fraction of its potential. The country has the geographical capacity, water sources, and climatic conditions to irrigate much more land, yet progress has been slowed by gaps in water storage, distribution, and infrastructure coordination.

The High Grand Falls Dam directly responds to this challenge. Once completed, the project is expected to support a minimum of 500,000 additional acres under irrigation. This would represent the single largest expansion of irrigated land in Kenya’s history. Major food production zones such as Galana Kulalu, Bura, and Garissa are expected to be among the major beneficiaries.

PS Kimotho emphasized that this expansion will not be symbolic. It is expected to translate into real, measurable national output, including up to 480,000 metric tonnes of rice annually. This would significantly reduce the burden of rice imports and strengthen local value chains.

The dam is also poised to unlock new irrigation opportunities across Garissa, Tana River, Kitui, and Makueni counties. For the upper side of Galana Kulalu alone, the project has the potential to support 200,000 more acres, opening up new frontiers for food production, livestock feed, and agro-processing growth.

A Joint Contracting Authority to Drive Faster Delivery

One of the major outcomes of today’s meeting was the agreement on the need for a strong, unified contracting authority to streamline the implementation process. PS Kimotho stressed that a project of this magnitude cannot be slowed down by fragmented mandates, duplicated processes, or weak coordination.

A joint contracting authority, bringing together the State Department for Irrigation and the Ministry of Energy, is expected to provide the structure needed to accelerate decision-making and execution. The dam’s construction involves multiple technical components, water storage, hydropower integration, conveyance systems, and large-scale irrigation infrastructure. Aligning these elements under a unified framework is essential for avoiding delays and ensuring quality delivery.

By bringing the Energy and Irrigation teams to the table, PS Kimotho reinforced the Government’s intention to treat High Grand Falls as a national priority project rather than a sector-specific undertaking.

Irrigation as the Foundation of Kenya’s Food Security Agenda

Throughout the meeting, PS Kimotho made a clear link between the High Grand Falls Dam and Kenya’s broader agricultural transformation agenda. Irrigation is the backbone of the country’s food security ambitions, especially under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

Rainfall patterns across the country have become increasingly unpredictable. Farmers continue to face cycles of drought, flooding, and delayed seasons. The State Department for Irrigation has repeatedly underscored that irrigation is the most reliable pathway for stabilizing production, supporting rural incomes, and insulating the country from climate shocks.

Increasing irrigation coverage to 1 million acres is therefore not just a target. It is a national necessity.

PS Kimotho reiterated that the High Grand Falls Dam remains one of the flagship projects under President William Ruto’s administration. It is also one of the 50 priority dams identified for urgent delivery. For the President, irrigation is central to lowering the cost of living, strengthening the agricultural value chain, and expanding food processing and export capacity.

A Transformative Future for Communities and Food Systems

The High Grand Falls Dam is also expected to reshape the socio-economic landscape of the surrounding counties. Beyond irrigation, the project is anticipated to create new livelihoods through expanded farming opportunities, agro-industrial growth, and enhanced water reliability for both households and livestock.

Better water access will open opportunities for local cooperatives, youth groups, and women-led enterprises, particularly in horticulture, rice farming, fodder production, and value-addition ventures. Entire communities will transition from vulnerability to stability, supported by year-round production and a predictable water supply.

The project will also support a significant shift toward climate-resilient agriculture, an area where the State Department for Irrigation continues to push for widespread adoption of efficient irrigation technologies, solar-powered pumping systems, and environmentally sound water use.

A Clear Path Forward

Today’s meeting served as both a strategy session and a call to action. PS Kimotho affirmed the commitment of the State Department for Irrigation to move with speed, precision, and coordination. The High Grand Falls Dam is not a distant aspiration. It is a work in progress, and its implementation must match the urgency of Kenya’s food and water needs.

The collaboration between the two State Departments signals a shift toward integrated planning and shared responsibility. It reflects the seriousness with which the Government views irrigation as a transformative national investment.

As Kenya advances toward the one-million-acre irrigation target, the High Grand Falls Project stands at the centre of that journey. It is a project of scale, ambition, and national importance, and one that promises to redefine Kenya’s agricultural future.

Article by Victor Patience Oyuko.  To support the blog,  Mpesa: 0708883777

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