Kenya’s drive to transform agriculture through irrigation has received a major boost after leading international development partners joined the government in rolling out an ambitious plan aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on rain-fed farming.
The renewed commitment was unveiled on Monday during the inaugural Sustainable Irrigation Scaling Coordination Convening in Nairobi, where the State Department for Irrigation brought together global financiers, development agencies, county governments, researchers, private sector players and farmer organisations to align investments in the irrigation sector.
Among the organisations backing the initiative are the Gates Foundation, the World Bank Group, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), JICA, KfW, Mastercard Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation and Shell Foundation.
The meeting signals growing international confidence in Kenya’s long-term irrigation strategy, which seeks to expand land under irrigation by one million acres through the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) 2025–2035.
Speaking during the opening session, Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho said the country possesses enormous untapped irrigation potential that can only be unlocked through stronger partnerships and coordinated investment.
“While Kenya has an irrigation potential of more than 3.35 million acres, only approximately 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,” Kimotho said.
His remarks come at a time when Kenya continues to grapple with erratic weather patterns, recurring droughts and rising food demand, with the government increasingly shifting its focus towards climate-smart agriculture.
The latest partnership builds on ongoing collaboration between Kenya and international lenders, particularly the World Bank, which has been supporting programmes aimed at expanding farmer-led irrigation, improving water management and strengthening climate resilience.
During a meeting with World Bank officials in May, Kimotho said irrigation remains central to the government’s agenda on food security, poverty reduction and job creation.
Officials say the new coordination platform will become an annual forum for aligning investments, sharing technical expertise and eliminating duplication among institutions funding irrigation projects across the country.
The Gates Foundation also used the forum to emphasise the importance of partnerships in helping smallholder farmers access irrigation technologies, improve productivity, strengthen climate resilience and increase household incomes.
Beyond expanding irrigation infrastructure, the government hopes the collaboration will attract greater private sector investment and accelerate the adoption of modern irrigation technologies capable of increasing agricultural productivity.
If the plan succeeds, Kenya could significantly reduce its dependence on rainfall, improve food production and place millions of farmers in a stronger position to withstand the growing effects of climate change.