Nairobi: The government plans to expand the smallholder irrigation programme to other parts of the country following a successful trial of initial projects in Kirinyaga County that recorded improved productivity in farmers’ incomes.
According to Kenya News Agency, during a visit to the Kandeki Irrigation Scheme in Kirinyaga County, Irrigation Principal Secretary (PS) Ephantus Kimotho stated that the blended financing model, which combines farmer contributions, government grants, and bank loans, has proven sustainable and is set to be rolled out to other regions, including Western Kenya. Under this financing arrangement, farmers contribute 10 percent of the project cost, the government provides a 40 percent grant, and financial institutions finance the remaining 50 percent through loans guaranteed by development partners.
The PS highlighted the uniqueness of the programme, emphasizing that farmer ownership is key to its sustainability. Farmers contribute financially and repay the loans, taking responsibility for maintaining the infrastructure. ‘So, sustainability is key, and this sustainability is maintained by the fact that the farmer is able to pay for the operation and maintenance,’ Kimotho explained.
The Kandeki Irrigation Scheme encompasses approximately 245 farmers cultivating about 225 acres. Farmers have established management structures, including hiring a manager, marketers, and technical staff to oversee operations and maintenance of the project. Kimotho noted that the mixed financing model encourages farmers to view agriculture as a business rather than merely a source of food for household consumption.
He further stated that the State Department for Irrigation is working closely with county governments, financial institutions, and development partners to ensure farmers receive quality inputs, extension services, and access to markets. ‘Our focus is not just on providing water but also connecting farmers to reliable markets through aggregators, contract farming, and partnerships with agro-industrial parks,’ he said.
According to the PS, the programme has demonstrated impressive loan repayment rates, with about 95 percent of participating farmers successfully servicing their loans, some completing repayment in just three years despite repayment periods of up to seven years. The government has invested approximately Sh1.3 billion in the last five years in irrigation projects in the Mount Kenya region. Plans are underway to expand the programme in Western Kenya after securing grants worth about Sh3 billion to support irrigation infrastructure and farmer capacity building.
Kimotho emphasized that public participation and hydrological assessments are conducted before introducing the programme to new regions, ensuring communities embrace the model and that adequate water resources are available. Kimotho also mentioned that the department for irrigation has engaged extensively with governors in the Western region about introducing the program, with different regions proposing varying cost-sharing models between the government and farmers.
The expansion is part of the government’s broader target of placing 2.5 million acres under irrigation, with about 772,000 acres currently under irrigation across the country. The PS mentioned plans to achieve the target through a combination of large-scale irrigation projects and medium-sized dams supporting community irrigation efforts.
Kimotho cited the transformation of the Mwea Irrigation Scheme as evidence of irrigation’s economic impact, noting that increased water availability has enabled double-season rice production, significantly boosting the local economy. ‘Mwea now contributes nearly half of Kenya’s rice production; currently, we are producing 305,000 metric tons, and Mwea is giving us approximately 155 metric tons and has become a major economic hub. We want to replicate such success stories across the country,’ Kimotho said.
Benchmarking visits by farmers from different regions have played a critical role in encouraging the adoption of modern irrigation technologies and commercial farming practices. ‘And now, on this smallholder, we’re also going to use this as a benchmark. And that works a lot. Farmers get inspired by other farmers.’
The PS also revealed that the government is developing water harvesting projects in semi-arid areas to capture floodwaters for irrigation during dry seasons, further strengthening food security and climate resilience. ‘In the semi-arid regions, we’re also putting efforts where we actually don’t have permanent rivers. We are coming up with a programme where we are doing water pants, and these water pants are going to help us in water harvesting. We’re able to utilize that water to do production,’ he concluded.
