Homa Bay rice scheme: Irrigation transforms swampland into farming hub

In Homa Bay County, a once waterlogged 2,000-acre stretch of land has been transformed into a productive rice scheme, offering a new lease of life to over 1,500 farmers.

The turnaround began in November 2025 when the government, through the Lake Basin Development Authority, rehabilitated canals across a 5,000-acre area under the Kimira Oluch irrigation scheme.

The gravity-fed system has reduced production costs by eliminating the need for fuel or electricity, making farming more sustainable and profitable while boosting rice production.

The impact is already visible, with farmers shifting to rice farming and planning crop diversification into sunflower and soybean. With Kenya producing about 290,000 tons of rice against a demand of 1.2 million tons, such projects are key to reducing imports.

Additional support from the Kibuon rice mill in Kisumu, commissioned by President William Ruto in 2024, is providing a ready market and enabling value addition, with plans to expand irrigation to 10,000 acres and position the region as a major food production hub.