The government has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding irrigation as part of efforts to boost food production, create jobs and strengthen climate resilience.
Speaking at the inaugural Sustainable Irrigation Scaling Coordination Convening in Nairobi on Monday, Principal Secretary for Irrigation Ephantus Kimotho said the government remains committed to implementing the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) 2025–2035, a 10-year strategy aimed at expanding irrigation by one million acres.
The two-day forum, co-hosted by the State Department for Irrigation and the Gates Foundation, brought together representatives from national and county governments, development partners, research institutions, financial organisations, the private sector, civil society and farmer groups to strengthen coordination in irrigation development.
Kimotho said the investment plan seeks to increase irrigation coverage, improve productivity in existing public schemes, strengthen farmer-led irrigation and attract greater private sector investment.
He said the plan supports the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and the country's efforts to enhance food security, create employment opportunities, build climate resilience and improve farmers' livelihoods.
The Principal Secretary said Kenya has an irrigation potential of more than 3.35 million acres, but only about 762,000 acres are currently under irrigation.
He said closing the gap would require increased investment as well as stronger coordination, innovation, shared priorities and sustained partnerships across the irrigation value chain.
Kimotho said the convening is intended to become an annual Ministry-led platform bringing together stakeholders to align investments, share knowledge, address implementation challenges and support the adoption of scalable irrigation solutions.
According to the State Department for Irrigation, the forum aims to increase awareness of the government's irrigation expansion plans, promote a common understanding of the requirements for scaling irrigation, improve coordination among stakeholders, identify opportunities for collaboration and establish a long-term coordination framework for the sector.
The Principal Secretary also acknowledged the contributions of Gates Foundation representatives Joshua Ariga and Ana Maria Loboguerrero, saying their presentations underscored the importance of partnerships in strengthening climate resilience, improving nutrition through diversified agricultural production, expanding economic opportunities for women and supporting smallholder farmers to adopt innovative technologies.
The convening also featured technical presentations on Kenya's national irrigation agenda and the proposed irrigation scaling coordination framework by Eng Vincent Kabuti and Nguma Kani.
Representatives from the State Department for Agriculture and development partners also participated.
Kimotho thanked the Gates Foundation for partnering with the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation in organising the forum, saying the collaboration would help strengthen coordination and investment in the irrigation sector.
