Kenya plans to build 50 mega dams, 200 medium-sized dams and 1,000 small reservoirs and water pans as part of efforts to expand irrigation and increase agricultural production in arid and semi-arid areas.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced the plans while speaking at the Rome Water Dialogue in Italy, where he outlined the government’s approach to turning the country’s dry areas into productive agricultural zones.
Kagwe said Kenya was looking beyond the challenges posed by its arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), which account for about 70 per cent of the country’s landmass, and seeking ways to use them to create jobs, improve food production and support economic growth.
The proposed water infrastructure is expected to reduce farmers’ dependence on rainfall, which often leaves agricultural production vulnerable to drought and changing weather patterns.
The government plans to use funding from the newly launched National Infrastructure Fund to support the construction of the dams and other water infrastructure.
Speaking during a technical session on restoring degraded agricultural land through policies and practical solutions, Kagwe said the government wanted to make irrigation a bigger part of Kenya’s agricultural system.
Under the proposed model, the government will provide the main infrastructure and support the marketing of Kenyan agricultural produce, while private investors, farmers, local communities, farmer producer organisations and savings and credit cooperative societies (SACCOs) will play a bigger role in production, processing and exports.
The arrangement is intended to encourage more private investment in agriculture while creating opportunities for farmers and businesses to earn from locally produced goods.
The government is also promoting the Land Commercialisation Initiative, which will allow private investors to lease idle government and community trust land for long-term agricultural projects. The land is expected to support the production of food crops, animal feed and fodder.
Kagwe also outlined plans to use technology to help farmers improve production. These include digital soil testing laboratories and local soil advisory services to help farmers understand the condition of their land and choose suitable inputs.
Under the proposed system, farmers will receive digital soil passports to guide their farming decisions and help them access subsidised inputs and artificial intelligence-based agricultural advice.
The initiative will involve the Kenya Agricultural and Digital Information Center (KADIC), the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), county governments, women and young people.
The government expects that the plans will boost agricultural productivity, improve food security and cut Kenya’s dependence on food imports.
Kenya spends about USD 3.4 billion annually on food imports, according to the figures provided in the government’s presentation. Cutting down the expenses will allow saving money for use in other areas.
The agricultural plans will go hand in hand with the 10-year tree planting initiative launched in the country, aimed at planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
The government believes that a combination of irrigation, good farming methods, private sector investments and preservation of the environment will increase productivity and conserve the natural resources.
Still, the implementation of the plans will be contingent upon the realization of the proposed projects as well as the ability of farmers in arid areas to gain access to water, agricultural inputs and markets.