As a move to boost food production amid growing effects of climate change, the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan is set to be launched on 21 march 2025 in Nairobi.
The plan has been poised to hasten the agri-business sector due to its elaborate multiple funding and implementation especially in arid and semi-arid areas.
It will expand the equipped irrigation area from 712,000 to 1,712,000 acres through massive-scale private micro-irrigation; large-scale corporate partnerships; and community schemes.
‘’Revitalized Irrigation in ASALs Ensure food and fodder production in vulnerable pastoralist communities goal: Provide adequate, reliable, and safe-quality water to support irrigation development in ASAL regions. Small and medium blue-water storage investments for new irrigation schemes. Flood-spate irrigation for fodder production. Water harvesting and infiltration methods for grazing enhancement, an official from the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation told Kurunzi News.
The plan is aimed at driving up productivity and profitability performance on existing public and community irrigation schemes covering 300,000 acres. Increase food and fodder production in ASAL regions on 140,000 acres of rangeland through agricultural water management techniques.
‘’The NISIP investment pathways enable multiple financing sources, funder interest areas, and regional and local initiatives to be strategically aligned with total focus on Government goals.’’
The approval of NISIP will trigger: the establishment of budget lines and coordination mechanisms; institutional capability development to drive FLID and service delivery performance; detailed planning; and new co-financing agreements.
The total funding that NISIP aspires to mobilize to achieve these goals is KSh 598 billion (equivalent to USD 4.60 billion). The Government of Kenya and international donors will finance 39% of NISIP and private sector will finance 61%. The Government is confident that investor collaboration that is framed by the NISIP pathways will be the most effective way to achieve its agricultural water development goals.
The initiative according to the government will promote commercially oriented irrigation projects undertaken independently by the private parties, or jointly with Government and communities.
‘’Access to land will be secured and infrastructure for private investment. Ensure streamlined channels and muilti-line ministry coordination of initiatives. Transport and predictable environment for business transactions,’’ Says the plan in its part.
The initiative will ensure end to end approach responsive to priority organizational and agricultural enterprise support needs and development of additional irrigation schemes.
