Ruto commissions Ziwa 2 dam to irrigate 500 acres in Uasin Gishu

President William Ruto has commissioned the Ziwa 2 Earth Dam Irrigation Project in Uasin Gishu County, a scheme expected to bring 500 acres under irrigation and support 1,000 farming households.

The project, located in Sirikwa Location, Soy Constituency, is intended to reduce farmers’ reliance on rain-fed agriculture by providing a more reliable water supply for crop production.

According to the National Irrigation Authority (NIA), rehabilitation works began in June 2025 and are substantially complete. The remaining farmer connections and fencing of the dam are expected to be completed by the end of November 2026.

Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho and NIA CEO Charles Muasya, who hosted the President during the commissioning, said the project is expected to directly benefit 1,000 people and indirectly support another 5,000 through employment and related economic activities.

Farmers are expected to grow maize and beans alongside horticultural crops such as spinach, passion fruit, kale, tomatoes and onions, as well as coffee.

The authority projects that households could earn an average of Ksh.200,000 per acre annually, based on two cropping seasons, as farmers move towards more commercial agricultural production.

The State Department for Irrigation, through the NIA, will also support farmers in establishing and strengthening an Irrigation Water Users Association, provide training on farming as a business and facilitate access to markets.

A second phase is planned to extend irrigation to an additional 2,000 acres and serve a further 4,000 households.

The event was also attended by national and county government officials.