PS Kimotho says gov't to scale irrigation, boost food security in 10-year investment plan

Speaking on Monday during the inaugural Sustainable Irrigation Scaling Coordination Convening in Nairobi, Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho said the 10-year investment plan seeks to expand irrigation by one million acres, optimise productivity in existing public schemes, strengthen farmer-led irrigation and unlock greater private sector investment in the sector.

Kimotho said the plan is a key pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and is expected to improve the livelihoods of farmers while enhancing the country's food production.

The two-day forum, co-hosted by the State Department for Irrigation and the Gates Foundation, brought together representatives from the national and county governments, development partners, research institutions, financial institutions, the private sector, civil society organisations and farmer groups to strengthen coordination in scaling irrigation nationwide.

The PS noted that although Kenya has an irrigation potential of more than 3.35 million acres, only about 762,000 acres are currently under irrigation.

He said bridging the gap will require not only increased financial investment but also stronger coordination, shared priorities, innovation and sustained partnerships across the irrigation value chain.

Kimotho further pointed out that the government intends to make the convening an annual, ministry-led platform bringing together stakeholders to align investments, share knowledge, address implementation challenges and accelerate the adoption of scalable irrigation solutions.

According to the PS, the initiative seeks to create a coordinated ecosystem where national and county governments, development partners, financial institutions, private sector players, research institutions, non-governmental organisations and farmer organisations work together to drive irrigation development.

The convening is guided by five objectives: increasing awareness of the government's irrigation scaling plans and targets, building a common understanding of the conditions required to scale irrigation, enhancing awareness of stakeholders' priorities and ongoing interventions, identifying opportunities for collaboration and establishing a long-term coordination framework for the sector.

The government says the collaborative approach is expected to improve efficiency, reduce duplication of efforts and maximise the impact of investments in irrigation development.

Kimotho also acknowledged the contributions of Gates Foundation representatives Joshua Ariga and Dr. Ana Maria Loboguerrero, saying their presentations underscored the importance of partnerships in transforming the irrigation sector.

He underscored that the discussions highlighted irrigation role in strengthening climate resilience, improving nutrition through diversified agricultural production, expanding economic opportunities for women and enabling smallholder farmers to adopt technologies that enhance productivity and incomes.

The forum also featured technical presentations by Engineer Vincent Kabuti on Kenya's national irrigation agenda and Nguma Kani on the irrigation scaling coordination framework.

Other participants included representatives from the State Department for Agriculture and development partners such as the World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), KfW, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Mastercard Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation, Shell Foundation, IKEA Foundation and SNV.

Kimotho consequently commended the Gates Foundation for partnering with the Ministry saying the collaboration would help mobilise investment, strengthen partnerships, scale innovation and transform the livelihoods of millions of Kenyan farmers.