State Department for Irrigation — government body overseeing national irrigation expansion including the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan aiming for one million additional acres by 2035.
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Capital News
… A key outcome of the discussions was an agreement to commission a detailed technical study to establish a comprehensive master plan for rice production and irrigation development in Taita Taveta. “The engagement comes as the State Department for Irrigation (SDI) continues to adva …
Kenya, Japan move to climate-smart irrigation plan as Taita Taveta targets rice productionThe Standard
… The State Department for Irrigation plans to strengthen farmer aggregation and cooperatives while improving access to quality inputs and technical support.It will also work with processors, exporters and other off-takers to create direct market links for farmers and reduce the di …
How irrigation schemes will drive Kenya's next farming pushThe Standard
… The deal follows recent consultations between the State Department for Irrigation and governors from western Kenya, who expressed willingness to co-invest in irrigation projects. …
Kenya eyes higher exports to GermanyThe Standard
… During the inspection, Koskei commended the State Department for Irrigation for rehabilitating and redesigning existing dams to meet current water and agricultural needs. …
How Mengit Dam expansion aims to water 600 acres in Kuresoi NorthCitizen Digital
… According to the State Department for Irrigation, the arrangement was costly and unsustainable, while the water shortage also affected the implementation of the 4-K Club programme under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). …
Over 1,900 learners in Kajiado to benefit from borehole rehabilitationThe Standard
… The project will also support the implementation of agricultural activities under the CBC while improving access to water at the school.The State Department for Irrigation said the project will support food and nutrition security among learners and provide practical training in i …
Borehole ends water vendor reliance for 1,900 Kajiado learnersCitizen Digital
… Speaking during the signing of an agreement between the State Department for Irrigation and the two county governments, Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho said Turkana will receive €2 million (approximately Ksh.298 million), while Marsabit will get €7 million (approx …
Marsabit, Turkana receive additional Ksh.1.34B funding as El Niño rains loomThe Standard
… Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho said €7 million (Sh1.04 billion) of the additional funding will go to Marsabit while Turkana will receive €2 million (Sh297.8 million).The additional financing follows an agreement between the State Department for Irrigation and the …
Marsabit, Turkana to get more funding to tackle droughtCitizen Digital
… PHOTO | COURTESY Audio By Vocalize The State Department for Irrigation has said the Ruiru Prison Farm Irrigation Project in Kiambu County is expected to generate more than Ksh.20 million from coffee production while supporting the government’s environmental restoration programme …
Ruiru Prison Farm irrigation project targets Ksh.20M coffee revenueThe Standard
… The initiative brings together the State Department for Irrigation and the Kenya Prisons Service to promote irrigation as a way of increasing food production while reducing reliance on rainfall.Principal Secretary for Irrigation Ephantus Kimotho Kimani inspected the project Frida …
Ruiru Prison Farm to grow coffee on 100 acres under Sh73m irrigation projectKenya is partnering with Japan's International Cooperation Agency to develop irrigation and rice production in Taita Taveta county. A detailed master plan will guide investment in water management, production, and processing while promoting sustainable use of water resources.
30 September 2026 · Capital News →
Kenya is partnering with Japan's International Cooperation Agency to develop irrigation and rice production in Taita Taveta county. A detailed master plan will guide investment in water management, production, and processing while promoting sustainable use of water resources.
30 September 2026 · Capital News →
Kenya's government is converting irrigation schemes into commercial farming hubs by selecting ten schemes covering 14,819 acres and 52,115 farmers for a pilot programme focused on rice, maize, horticulture, vegetables, pulses, potatoes, onions and avocado. The initiative aims to address challenges including post-harvest losses, weak market links, inadequate financing and limited adoption of modern technologies by linking farmers to finance, technology, processors and exporters.
30 September 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya aims to boost exports to Germany by encouraging local businesses to move beyond raw produce into processing, branding and market-specific packaging. Twenty-one Kenyan exporters from tea, avocado, herbs, spices, horticulture, agro-processing and craft sectors will participate in a three-week market-linkage programme in Mannheim, Germany from September 28 to October 16, where they will receive training, hold business-to-business meetings and develop cooperation proposals with German counterparts.
28 September 2026 · The Standard →
The Government plans to expand Mengit Dam in Nakuru County's Nyota Ward, increasing its storage capacity from 150,000 to 400,000 cubic metres to irrigate 600 acres and supply about 1,000 households with reliable water during dry periods. A water reticulation system will be installed to distribute water to farms, enabling farmers to grow high-value crops.
28 September 2026 · The Standard →
More than 1,900 learners at Olekasasi Primary School in Kajiado North Constituency will benefit from the rehabilitation of the school's borehole, which is expected to ease water shortages and support agricultural activities and the 4-K Club programme.
24 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
A rehabilitated borehole at Olekasasi Primary School in Kajiado County has ended the school's dependence on water vendors and enabled learners to practise irrigated agriculture through growing mangoes, kales, spinach and tomatoes. The project is expected to benefit about 1,900 learners and surrounding community residents who will gain access to water.
24 September 2026 · The Standard →
Marsabit and Turkana counties have received €9 million (Ksh.1.34 billion) from the German KfW Development Bank under the Drought Resilience Programme for Northern Kenya to strengthen drought resilience and mitigate the effects of expected El Niño rains. Turkana will receive €2 million and Marsabit €7 million.
17 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Marsabit and Turkana counties will receive an additional €9 million from Germany's KfW Development Bank to expand drought response measures including water access, livestock production, and infrastructure. The new funding brings total programme financing to €30 million, with €7 million allocated to Marsabit and €2 million to Turkana.
17 September 2026 · The Standard →
The Ruiru Prison Farm Irrigation Project in Kiambu County, a Ksh.73 million joint venture between the State Department for Irrigation and Kenya Prisons Service, is expected to generate more than Ksh.20 million from coffee production while producing approximately 18 million tree seedlings annually valued at more than Ksh.75 million.
21 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
A Sh73 million irrigation project at Ruiru Prison Farm will put 100 acres under coffee and over 20 acres under horticulture, and establish a tree nursery producing about 18 million seedlings yearly to support the government's 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme. The initiative, backed by the State Department for Irrigation and Kenya Prisons Service, aims to enhance food production, reduce reliance on external suppliers and rainfall, and provide training to over 300 inmates in climate-resilient farming.
21 August 2026 · The Standard →
The government is developing a water management project to harness excess water from the Lake Baringo–Lake Bogoria basin for agricultural irrigation. Officials from the Irrigation and Defence ministries have held consultations and technical assessments, with preliminary findings suggesting the excess water could be conveyed to areas with irrigation development potential.
18 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The government is developing a plan to divert excess water from Lake Baringo, which has risen 12 to 14 metres over 15 years, into a large-scale irrigation scheme covering about 100,000 acres in Baringo and potentially Turkana counties. Engineers would build a dyke to prevent saline water from Lake Bogoria from mixing with Baringo's fresh water, then channel the excess through tunnels and canals under a private-sector investment model projected to generate close to Sh40 billion in economic value.
18 August 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya has drafted a new Land Reclamation Bill, 2026, to reclaim degraded land nationwide and build a legal framework for restoring degraded land while halting further degradation. The Bill seeks to enhance food and water security, strengthen climate resilience, promote environmental sustainability, and set up institutional, regulatory and financing mechanisms to guide ecosystem restoration and attract investment in land reclamation projects.
11 July 2026 · The Standard →
A Sh288.6 million government-funded irrigation project in Moiben Constituency has brought 280 acres under irrigation, allowing more than 700 Uasin Gishu households to grow crops year-round and reduce weather-related losses. The scheme is expected to generate about Sh70 million annually from agricultural production.
11 July 2026 · The Standard →
The Irrigation Principal Secretary announced the government's commitment to expand irrigation infrastructure in Nyandarua County through the Gwa Kiongo Irrigation Project, which will bring 500 acres under irrigation across two phases and enable up to three cropping seasons a year for more than 1,000 farmers. Officials distributed 20,000 fish fingerlings to promote aquaculture as part of efforts to diversify livelihoods and boost food security.
7 July 2026 · The Standard →
The government has committed to expanding irrigation across the country through the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) 2025–2035, which aims to expand irrigation by one million acres, optimise productivity in existing public schemes, strengthen farmer-led irrigation, and unlock greater private sector investment.
6 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The government has committed to expanding irrigation across the country through a 10-year National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (2025–2035) that aims to expand irrigation by one million acres, optimise productivity in existing public schemes, strengthen farmer-led irrigation, and unlock private sector investment as part of efforts to strengthen food security and build climate resilience.
6 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The government aims to expand irrigated land by one million acres over the next decade under the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan 2025-2035, seeking to bridge the gap between Kenya's irrigation potential of more than 3.35 million acres and the current coverage of about 762,000 acres.
6 July 2026 · The Standard →
The State Department for Irrigation has secured €20 million (approximately Ksh.3 billion) from Germany to support smallholder irrigation development across seven counties, negotiated during Government-to-Government Development Cooperation talks in Berlin.
25 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Kenya has secured German support to expand smallholder irrigation projects across seven counties in western Kenya's Lake Region Economic Bloc, following bilateral talks in Berlin. The deal builds on a German-backed programme in the Mount Kenya region that has increased agricultural production and farmer incomes.
25 June 2026 · The Standard →
The government has launched construction of the Ksh.55 million Hirimani Bridges in Bura Irrigation Scheme, Tana River County, and issued Green Cards covering more than 2,000 acres to 720 farming families to improve irrigation infrastructure and secure land ownership.
16 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The government has allocated Sh55 million to build two bridges at the Bura Irrigation Scheme in Tana River County and issued land ownership cards to 720 farming families covering more than 2,000 acres. The bridges are expected to cut travel time within the scheme, improve surveillance during rainy season, and reduce flooding.
15 June 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya plans to nearly double the acreage under irrigation from 664,000 acres in 2021/2022 to 1.29 million acres by 2027/2028, according to the State Department for Irrigation's National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan. The expansion is aimed at enhancing food security, increasing agricultural productivity, creating jobs, and building resilience against climate change.
3 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President Ruto highlighted irrigation's role in strengthening food security during Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir County, announcing the government's water infrastructure programme of 50 mega dams, 200 medium and small dams, and thousands of micro-dams across the country.
1 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Kenya's government has commissioned a national baseline survey on rice production to address an annual rice deficit of 700,000 metric tonnes and reduce imports costing more than Sh56 billion. The survey will assess acreage, irrigation infrastructure, water availability, mechanisation, seed varieties, and other factors across major rice-producing schemes as part of the Rice Deficit Reduction Programme.
21 May 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya has launched a review of its 2017 National Irrigation Policy after acknowledging that the framework failed to keep pace with sector reforms including the 2019 Irrigation Act and restructuring of the National Irrigation Board. The review aims to eliminate duplication, close institutional gaps, strengthen governance and improve coordination in irrigation development.
14 May 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya is deepening its partnership with the World Bank to expand water access and improve agricultural productivity under a national development plan centred on irrigation. A meeting between Kenya's Principal Secretary for Irrigation and World Bank officials reviewed the Kenya Sustainable Irrigation for Resilient Economy programme, which includes farmer-led irrigation development, public and community schemes, and water security initiatives.
7 May 2026 · The Standard →