By Erestinah Jane | July 6, 2026
The government has unveiled an ambitious plan to nearly double Kenya’s irrigated acreage by the 2027/2028 financial year as it seeks to boost food production, strengthen food security and accelerate agricultural transformation under its broader economic agenda.
Under the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP), the area under irrigation is projected to increase from 664,000 acres recorded in the 2021/2022 financial year to 1,289,142 acres by the end of the 2027/2028 financial year. The expansion is expected to enhance agricultural productivity, reduce dependence on rain-fed farming and improve the country’s resilience to the effects of climate change.
The investment plan outlines a series of interventions aimed at increasing water availability for irrigation through the development and rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure, while promoting efficient water management and sustainable agricultural practices.
Among the flagship projects identified under the plan is the Galana-Kulalu Irrigation Project, which the government considers critical to expanding large-scale food production and reducing the country’s reliance on food imports. The project is also expected to attract both public and private investment into the agriculture sector, creating employment opportunities and stimulating economic growth in surrounding regions.
Officials say the irrigation expansion programme is aligned with the government’s commitment to achieving food and nutrition security by increasing the amount of land under irrigation and supporting farmers to produce throughout the year, regardless of seasonal rainfall patterns.
The National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan further seeks to improve the efficiency and sustainability of irrigation schemes through investments in modern infrastructure, better water resource management and strengthened institutional capacity. These measures are expected to increase crop yields, diversify agricultural production and improve the livelihoods of farming communities.
The irrigation programme comes at a time when Kenya continues to grapple with the effects of climate variability, including prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall, which have disrupted agricultural production and threatened food supplies in several parts of the country.
If successfully implemented, the NISIP is expected to play a central role in advancing Kenya’s agricultural transformation by expanding irrigated agriculture, enhancing national food security and contributing to the country’s long-term economic development goals.
