The government is seeking partnerships with the private sector under a 10-year initiative aimed at transforming the irrigation sector in Kenya.
The programme seeks to expand irrigation coverage from the current 22% to 50% of the country’s potential by fostering collaboration with private investors, development partners, and local communities. At the core of the initiative is scaling up Farmer-Led Irrigation Development (FLID) to empower smallholder farmers to adopt, invest in, and manage their own irrigation technologies.
Supported by the World Bank and the national government, the initiative also aims to provide affordable, low-cost solutions such as solar pumps and drip irrigation kits to farmers.
Speaking during a consultative meeting in Nairobi, Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department for Irrigation, Ephantus Kimotho, emphasised that plugging in irrigation is key to ensuring sustainable food productivity in the country.
Currently, only 747,000 acres are under irrigation, but Kenya has a massive potential for irrigation covering up to 3.5 million acres. “The NISIP programme aspires to take that potential to the next level. With only 4% of land irrigated due to the effects of climate change, our production is declining every day. It is high time we embrace irrigation,” Kimotho said.
He added that today’s conversation is geared towards fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors, as well as with international development agencies, to mobilise the necessary resources and technical expertise. Traditionally, irrigation expansion has been driven mainly by government programmes, but under NISIP, the emphasis is on co-creating programmes with private sector players contributing 60% of investments.
“Seventy-five percent of farmers who depend on rain-fed agriculture are the most affected by climate shocks. The government is encouraging them to embrace irrigation,” he noted.
Kimotho further explained that access to finance has long been a challenge due to lack of collateral. With partnerships and stakeholders, discussions are ongoing to provide market linkages and contract farming opportunities, enabling farmers to use contracts as security to access irrigation equipment.
“NISIP will also invest in solar-driven technologies, which will help Kenya achieve carbon neutrality and align with the country’s Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.
Lead Water Resources Management Specialist at the World Bank, Peter Waalewijn, described the initiative as timely. “Irrigation is not an end in itself, but a means to create jobs, strengthen climate resilience, and drive rural growth,” he said. He noted that farmland irrigation is a key vehicle for growth and investment, and the World Bank will bring lessons from global experiences that reflect Kenya’s realities and market conditions.
“The government is creating an enabling environment, and our financing will ensure inclusivity, allowing more farmers to invest in irrigation,” Waalewijn added. He highlighted the need for farmers to be empowered with information and tools to engage with the private sector, facilitating business-to-consumer deals without regulatory obstacles or market distortions.
“We are partnering with the Gates Foundation to design digital tools to simplify sales and rebates so that processing takes no more than a couple of weeks,” he said.
Daniel Odero, Director of Irrigation Water Management, Harvesting, and Storage, said the government aims to mobilise Sh598 million to support the initiative, with 61% expected from the private sector and 39% from government contributions.
For pastoral communities, water will be provided through pumps and small dams to capture rainfall and support livestock grazing. Existing public and community irrigation schemes will be improved, expanded where possible, and supported through active participation of the private sector, particularly in production and market application of outputs.
Odero noted that county governments will be engaged, especially in community lands not demarcated for private use, through County Integration Development Units to jointly design programmes that benefit local communities. Private partners will also be facilitated to lease land and produce, ensuring effective irrigation deployment.
NISIP is Kenya’s 10-year (2025–2035) strategic roadmap to transform agriculture by expanding irrigated land to 1.5 million acres by 2030. Aligned with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), it targets food security, climate resilience, and economic growth through enhanced water infrastructure, public-private partnerships, and modernised, farmer-led irrigation technologies.
By Wangari Ndirangu
