The government has unveiled an ambitious plan to more than double the amount of land under irrigation in the next three years, a move officials say could significantly boost food production, reduce reliance on imports and shield the country from recurring droughts.
Speaking during a meeting of accounting officers at Konza Technopolis, Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho said the State Department for Irrigation is targeting an increase in irrigated land from 664,000 acres recorded in the 2021/2022 financial year to more than 1.28 million acres by 2027/2028.
At the centre of the strategy is a renewed push to expand food production through irrigation as Kenya grapples with the effects of climate change and an increasing demand for food.
One of the flagship projects expected to drive the plan is the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project, which the government says could produce more than 14 million bags of maize annually once fully operational.
The project, which has faced years of scrutiny and delays, is once again being positioned as a key pillar in the country’s food security agenda.
According to Kimotho, irrigated maize production is projected to rise from just 200,000 bags to more than five million bags annually through expanded irrigation infrastructure and improved access to water for farmers.
The government is also targeting a major breakthrough in rice farming.
Under the new roadmap, paddy rice production is expected to rise sharply by 2027 through the rehabilitation of existing irrigation schemes, expansion of new acreage and conversion of irrigation systems to more affordable gravity-fed and solar-powered models.
If achieved, the plan could dramatically reduce Kenya’s dependence on imported rice, which has for years cost the country billions of shillings in foreign exchange.
Beyond maize and rice, the State Department says more than 100,000 farmers are expected to gain access to irrigation water through community schemes and farmer-led initiatives.
Officials argue that the expansion will not only increase food production but also create jobs, improve household incomes and support agro-processing industries.
The latest announcement signals the government’s growing shift from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation-based farming as it seeks a long-term solution to food shortages and climate-related shocks that have repeatedly disrupted agricultural production.
