MPs have directed the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation to shelve plans for new projects.
The members of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation asked the ministry to prioritise completion of stalled and ongoing ones, warning that fresh proposals will not be accommodated in the 2026 Budget.
The lawmakers issued the directive during deliberations on the 2026 Budget Policy Statement (BPS), where ministry officials had appeared to defend their funding requirements, saying the proposed allocations were insufficient.
Committee chairperson Bowen Kangogo said Parliament would not support expansionary plans when existing projects remain incomplete due to funding gaps.
"You cannot spend what's not available nor stretch beyond the limits. You can't say you have a shortage of resources when you keep bringing new projects," he said.
MPs questioned the rationale behind seeking additional funds while several projects across the country remain unfinished.
The committee drew the line following the ministry’s request for additional funding, part of which was expected to finance new initiatives.
Legislators said any new projects would not see the light of day in the 2026 Budget allocations, urging the ministry to focus on delivering value from existing investments.
Appearing before the committee, Water, Sanitation and Irrigation CS Eric Mugaa, accompanied by Principal Secretaries Julius Korir (Water and Sanitation) and Ephantus Kimotho (Irrigation), defended the Ministry’s budget requirements against the proposed 2026 BPS ceilings.
Korir told MPs that the State Department for Water and Sanitation requires Sh120.1 billion, significantly higher than the proposed expenditure ceiling of Sh56.8 billion under the 2026 BPS.
He argued that enhanced funding would ensure equitable access to clean and safe water across the country through implementation of key projects.
Kimotho sought an additional Sh20.5 billion above the proposed allocation of Sh943 million for the irrigation subsector.
He warned that inadequate funding would adversely affect implementation of ongoing projects and delay their completion, potentially leading to stalled works and accumulation of pending bills.
The Cabinet Secretary emphasised that climate change has significantly reduced the reliability of rain-fed agriculture, making irrigation development the most sustainable solution for Kenya’s food security challenges.
He underscored the Government’s Rice Intensification Programme as a key strategy aimed at boosting domestic rice production, reducing imports and stabilising food prices.
The CS SAID the FY 2026 BPS prioritises completion of ongoing irrigation and dam projects to avoid stalled investments.
He called for enhanced budgetary support to bridge the financing gap and fast-track delivery of critical irrigation infrastructure.
Kimotho outlined ambitious targets for the subsector, including plans to increase land under irrigation by 1.5 million acres, expand water storage capacity by 12.4 billion cubic metres and raise national paddy rice production to 700,000 tonnes.
He highlighted ongoing modernisation and expansion of major irrigation schemes such as Mwea, Bura, Ahero, Turkana and Lower Kuja.
Mwea alone, he said, is projected to produce 205,000 tonnes of rice under the intensification programme.
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