Story Overview
Public-facing summary of this government priority project.Kenya's agricultural sector is set to receive a significant boost with the expansion of existing irrigation schemes. The government is investing in the upgrade and enlargement of key irrigation projects to increase water coverage, improve crop yields, and enhance food security
Why It Matters
How this intervention contributes to public value.Expanding existing irrigation schemes in Kenya is one of the most high-impact interventions the country can make to achieve food security, reduce poverty, improve climate resilience, and drive economic growth.
Implementation Progress
Current implementation status and expected completion.Project Gallery
Photos and media evidence from implementation.
Key Benefits
Expected or realized public benefits.Rainfall is increasingly unreliable due to climate change: longer droughts, erratic onset/cessation of rains, and flash floods.
Irrigation schemes have very high economic returns: Benefit–Cost Ratios often 3–8:1 (World Bank & government studies).
Kenya currently imports 1 million tonnes of maize, wheat, and rice in bad years, costing hundreds of millions of dollars. Expanded domestic irrigated production directly reduces this import bill. At the same time, high-value irrigated horticulture (vegetables, flowers, fruits) is already Kenya’s second-largest foreign exchange earner after tourism.