Nairobi: The government has announced plans to mobilise resources to the tune of Sh598 billion to finance the expansion of the area under irrigation by one million acres over the next 10 years, aiming to increase food production.
According to Kenya News Agency, the 10-year plan under the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) targets various strategies, including public-private partnerships, credit guarantees for smallholder farmers, and enhancing corporate agriculture. Ephantus Kimotho, the State Department of Irrigation Principal Secretary, highlighted during a pre-launch event that increasing resources in this subsector will contribute to making the country food self-reliant, reducing the need for food imports.
Kimotho elaborated that 39% of the resources will be funded by the government and development partners, while the remaining 61% will be funded primarily by the private sector. He stated, "This strategy is geared towards investment in irrigation food and fodder production and will be guided by five investment pathways that will enable multiple financing sources, and local initiatives strategically aligned with total focus on government goals."
Currently, the country has 747,000 acres under irrigation, with 83,000 acres developed in the last two years, resulting in increased production, particularly in the rice value chain. Kimotho noted that rice production had increased from 192,000 metric tonnes to 293,000 metric tonnes due to the additional acreage and irrigation improvements, predominantly in public schemes. The target is to increase production to 440,000 metric tonnes by 2027 and reach one million metric tonnes by 2032.
The Mwea irrigation scheme has expanded from 25,000 acres to 35,000 acres, enabling double cropping. Despite the perennial water shortage challenge, the government plans to put 200,000 acres under irrigation in Galana-Kulalu. Kimotho emphasized the importance of creating a linkage between aggregators and farmers, facilitating contract farming to guarantee farmers' income.
Vincent Kabuti, the irrigation secretary at the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, stated that the investment plan aims to revolutionize irrigation and increase farmers' earnings. He highlighted the need for a conducive environment for the private sector to invest in irrigation. Among the five pathways guiding the investment plan is farmer-led irrigation, targeting 250,000 acres of land accessible to water sources and another 100,000 acres without.
Other pathways include high-performance public irrigation schemes focusing on productivity and corporate agribusiness, which ensures investors develop large tracts of land for commercial farming. Kabuti concluded that revitalizing irrigation in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands will ensure food and fodder production, supporting vulnerable pastoralist communities with 2,000 small, farmer-managed irrigation schemes.