The government has unveiled an ambitious plan to rehabilitate more than 150 colonial-era dams in Nyandarua County as part of a wider strategy to reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture, boost food production and transform the region into a major irrigation and aquaculture hub.
The announcement came during an inspection of the Gwa Kiongo Irrigation Project in Mirangine Ward, where Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho said the dam would serve as one of the flagship projects under the government’s renewed push to expand irrigation and strengthen food security.
Once completed, the Gwa Kiongo project will bring 500 acres under irrigation in two phases and directly benefit more than 1,000 farmers. The irrigation network is expected to enable farmers to grow crops throughout the year, increasing production from one or two seasons to as many as three harvests annually.
“The project will enable reliable irrigation throughout the year, allowing farmers to increase productivity, improve household incomes and build resilience against climate change,” Kimotho said during the inspection.
The announcement comes just days after the government launched the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) 2025–2035, an ambitious blueprint targeting the expansion of irrigation by one million acres across the country over the next decade.
Beyond expanding irrigation, Kimotho revealed that the State Department for Irrigation has identified more than 150 former colonial dams across Nyandarua for rehabilitation in a move expected to improve water harvesting, support livestock farming, expand aquaculture and guarantee farmers a reliable water supply throughout the year.
The rehabilitation programme is also expected to cushion farmers against prolonged dry spells that have increasingly disrupted agricultural production due to climate change.
In a move aimed at diversifying farmers’ sources of income, the government also stocked the dam with 20,000 fish fingerlings and distributed fish feeds to local farmers. Officials said the initiative is intended to promote fish farming, create employment opportunities for young people and women, improve household nutrition and strengthen the blue economy.
The inspection brought together Principal Secretary for the Blue Economy Betsy Njagi, Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira and former Senior Economic Advisor Moses Kuria, underscoring what the government described as a multi-agency approach to agricultural transformation.
Officials believe combining irrigation with aquaculture and value addition will help farmers earn more from the same piece of land while opening new opportunities in food processing and local markets.
For Nyandarua, where farming remains the backbone of the local economy, the twin investment in irrigation and dam rehabilitation could mark a turning point. For the government, it is another step towards its broader goal of making agriculture less dependent on unpredictable rainfall and more resilient to the effects of climate change.