Principal Secretary for Irrigation Ephantus Kimotho on Monday chaired a high-level meeting with development partners aimed at strengthening irrigation programmes and improving food security in arid and semi-arid parts of the country.
The meeting, held at Maji House, brought together officials from the KfW Development Bank, the State Department for Irrigation, Equity Bank Group and the National Treasury. It followed a recent field visit by the KfW team to Marsabit County, where several irrigation projects are underway.
Speaking at the forum, PS Kimotho said close cooperation between government and development partners was key to ensuring projects are delivered on time and have real impact on communities.
“Our focus is on practical solutions that improve livelihoods and make farming more reliable, especially in areas that face frequent drought,” he said.
Participants reviewed the progress of ongoing programmes, discussed challenges affecting implementation, and agreed on ways to improve coordination and speed up service delivery.
The meeting also explored plans to expand the Smallholder Irrigation Programme to the Western Region, alongside efforts to scale up the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan.
Officials said the move will open up more land for irrigation, increase farm yields and strengthen national food security.
PS Kimotho further gave an update on the Feedlot Programme, which aims to establish 450 feedlots — one in each ward — starting with ASAL counties.
The programme combines livestock development with irrigation and water infrastructure, including water pans now under construction in Wajir.
He said the initiative will help pastoral communities cope with climate shocks while creating new income opportunities.
The stakeholders present reaffirmed their commitment to working together to support sustainable irrigation and agricultural development across the country.
