PS Kimotho: Kenya to add one million irrigated acres by 2035

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 The government aims to expand irrigated land by one million acres over the next decade under a new investment plan, as it seeks to close a gap between the country's irrigation potential and current coverage.

Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho announced the target on Monday, July 6, during the inaugural Sustainable Irrigation Scaling Coordination Convening in Nairobi, co-hosted by the State Department for Irrigation and the Gates Foundation.

Kimotho said the government will implement the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan 2025-2035, a 10-year strategy that seeks to expand irrigation, improve productivity in existing public schemes, strengthen farmer-led irrigation and attract private sector investment.

"The plan is a critical pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and Kenya's broader efforts to enhance food security, create jobs, build climate resilience and improve the livelihoods of farmers," noted Kimotho.

He said Kenya has an irrigation potential of more than 3.35 million acres but only about 762,000 acres are currently under irrigation.

"Bridging this gap requires not only financial investment but also stronger coordination, shared priorities, innovation and sustained partnerships across the entire irrigation value chain," he added.

The two-day meeting brought together representatives from the national and county governments, development partners, research institutions, financial institutions, private sector organisations, civil society groups and farmer organisations to coordinate irrigation development.

Kimotho said the government intends to make the forum an annual Ministry-led platform to align investments, share knowledge, address implementation challenges and speed up adoption of irrigation technologies across the country.

He explained that the convening seeks to increase awareness of the government's irrigation targets, build consensus on conditions needed to expand irrigation, identify opportunities for collaboration and establish a long-term coordination framework for the sector.