Nguruman Farmers Optimistic after PS Kimotho Inspects Project

On Tuesday, 3 February 2026, the Nguruman plains in Kajiado West Constituency offered more than a routine project stopover. Principal Secretary for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho, CBS, was on site to inspect the Nguruman Irrigation Project, but the visit carried broader policy significance. It reflected how Kenya’s irrigation agenda is increasingly being framed not as isolated infrastructure delivery, but as a system-wide response to climate risk, food insecurity, and rural livelihoods.

The inspection brought together beneficiary farmers, local leaders, technical officers, and implementing stakeholders. Its purpose was straightforward but consequential. The Principal Secretary assessed the status of ongoing rehabilitation works, reviewed progress against project objectives, and listened directly to community feedback on how the project is reshaping agricultural production and household incomes.

In doing so, the visit reinforced a recurring theme in PS Kimotho’s approach to irrigation policy. Effective irrigation cannot be evaluated from offices or reports alone. It must be tested against farmer experience, water reliability on the ground, and the capacity of communities to manage schemes sustainably once construction teams leave.

Restoring a Strategic Irrigation Asset

The Nguruman Irrigation Project is situated in Magadi Ward, Kajiado West Constituency, an area where agriculture has long been constrained by water variability despite proximity to perennial rivers. Drawing water from the Entasopia and Oloirbortoto Rivers, the scheme has historically supported farming and livestock activities, but years of wear, flood damage, and inadequate maintenance gradually eroded its efficiency.

The current intervention focuses on rehabilitation rather than new construction. This distinction matters. By restoring existing canals, intakes, and conveyance systems, the State Department for Irrigation is seeking to recover lost capacity at a lower cost while extending the lifespan of previous public investments. The objective is to improve water reliability, restore system efficiency, and unlock productivity across a larger command area.

During the inspection, PS Kimotho reviewed sections where rehabilitation has already been completed and areas still under construction. Technical briefings highlighted progress achieved, remaining challenges, and timelines for completion. The emphasis throughout was on functionality rather than visibility, ensuring that water reaches farms consistently and equitably.

Irrigation as Climate Adaptation

Nguruman’s relevance extends beyond agricultural output. The scheme sits within a climate-sensitive zone where droughts and floods have historically undermined livelihoods. Any irrigation intervention in such an environment must therefore address both water scarcity and excess.

The project’s core objectives reflect this dual challenge. Alongside promoting irrigated agricultural enterprises and improving household incomes, the scheme aims to strengthen community resilience to drought and climate change through sustainable water management. It also integrates river protection works designed to reduce flooding and riverbank erosion that have repeatedly damaged farms and community infrastructure.

This integrated approach aligns closely with PS Kimotho’s public articulation of irrigation as climate adaptation infrastructure. In recent policy engagements, he has argued that irrigation must move beyond water abstraction to include protection, regulation, and resilience. Nguruman provides a practical demonstration of this logic in action.

Voices from the Field

A central feature of the inspection visit was direct engagement with beneficiary farmers. These interactions offered insight into how rehabilitation works are translating into everyday realities on the ground.

Farmers reported improved water availability in sections where works have been completed, allowing for increased cropping intensity and more predictable planting schedules. Some described returning to irrigated agriculture after years of uncertainty, while others spoke of renewed confidence in investing labour and inputs into their farms.

The feedback was not uncritical. Beneficiaries emphasised the importance of timely completion of remaining works, warning that partial rehabilitation limits the scheme’s full potential. They also highlighted the need for continued engagement between government, contractors, and the community to resolve emerging issues promptly.

Of particular note was the emphasis placed on strengthening the Irrigation Water Users Association. Farmers recognised that long-term success depends not only on infrastructure but also on effective management, operation, and maintenance. This acknowledgement mirrors the State Department’s growing focus on governance and institutional capacity within irrigation schemes.

Beyond Crops: Livestock and Integrated Systems

Nguruman’s agricultural economy is not limited to crops. Livestock remains a critical livelihood pillar, especially in Kajiado County. The rehabilitation project therefore incorporates objectives that extend beyond irrigated cropping to include fodder production and crop livestock integration.

By supporting irrigated fodder, the scheme enhances the livestock value chain and reduces pressure on rangelands during dry seasons. This integration is particularly significant in a pastoral and agro pastoral context, where climate shocks often manifest first through livestock losses.

PS Kimotho has consistently underscored the importance of such integrated systems. Irrigation, in this framing, supports not only food crops but also stabilises livestock production, nutrition, and income diversification. Nguruman illustrates how irrigation can anchor mixed livelihood systems rather than displace them.

Scale and Socioeconomic Impact

The projected impact of the Nguruman Irrigation Project is substantial. Once fully rehabilitated, the scheme is expected to support irrigation over approximately 2,000 acres of farmland and improve livelihoods and employment opportunities for an estimated 1,440 households.

These figures represent more than numerical targets. They signal a shift from marginal, climate exposed farming to more secure and productive systems. Increased irrigated crop production directly contributes to food and nutrition security at household and local market levels. Employment opportunities extend benefits beyond farmers to labourers, traders, and service providers.

From a policy perspective, such outcomes reinforce the argument that irrigation investments deliver multiplier effects when properly designed and managed. They reduce vulnerability, stimulate local economies, and lessen dependence on relief interventions during drought periods.

Aligning with the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda

The Nguruman intervention contributes directly to the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda, particularly its pillars on food security, income generation, and sustainable livelihoods. The emphasis on farmer engagement, smallholder productivity, and local value chains reflects the agenda’s focus on grassroots economic empowerment.

During the inspection, PS Kimotho linked the project’s objectives to these national priorities, underscoring the role of irrigation in translating policy frameworks into tangible outcomes. Reliable water supply, reduced flood risk, and strengthened community institutions form the foundation upon which broader economic transformation can occur.

This alignment is not incidental. It reflects deliberate policy choices to prioritise rehabilitation, inclusivity, and resilience in irrigation planning. Nguruman serves as a case study in how national agendas can be operationalised at community level without losing sight of local realities.

Lessons for Irrigation Policy

Several lessons emerge from the Nguruman inspection. First, rehabilitation of existing schemes offers a cost effective pathway to expanding irrigated agriculture while maximising returns on past investments. Second, climate resilience must be embedded into irrigation design through river protection and sustainable water management. Third, farmer institutions such as IWUAs are not peripheral but central to scheme sustainability.

PS Kimotho’s engagement with these issues on site reinforces a governance style that values feedback loops between policy, implementation, and beneficiaries. It also highlights the importance of monitoring projects not only against engineering milestones but also against livelihood outcomes.

Looking Ahead

As rehabilitation works continue, the focus will shift to completion, commissioning, and post construction management. Ensuring that the IWUA is adequately supported, trained, and resourced will be critical to maintaining system performance over time.

The Tuesday inspection at Nguruman underscored that irrigation is no longer viewed simply as water delivery infrastructure. It is being treated as an integrated development tool that addresses climate risk, supports diversified livelihoods, and anchors local economic resilience.

For Nguruman’s farmers, the project represents restored confidence in irrigated agriculture. For policymakers, it offers practical evidence that rehabilitation, when guided by community engagement and climate considerations, can deliver durable outcomes. And for the national irrigation agenda under PS Ephantus Kimotho, it reinforces a clear message. Sustainable irrigation is built not only through concrete and canals, but through systems that listen, adapt, and endure.

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