Kenya Must Irrigate More Land to Feed Growing Population, CS Kagwe Says

By Mbungu Harrison

Kenya must rapidly expand irrigation to feed its growing population, agriculture cabinet secretary Mutahi Kagwe has said.

He said the country’s landmass will remain the same as the population grows making it critical to produce more food from every available acre.

“The population is growing and that does not mean the size of Kenya will increase. It is therefore important that we have water available to match that growth and feed our population.”

The CS spoke in Bamba, Kilifi County on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 when he launched the Ksh79 million rehabilitation of Ndigiria Water Pan.

According to him the government is scaling up investments to harvest runoff from seasonal rivers, build and rehabilitate dams and water pans, and tap groundwater through deep boreholes.

He said it was unacceptable for huge volumes of runoff to flow away during rainy seasons only for communities to face water shortages months later.

“Kenya cannot continue depending on rain alone to feed its people. We must have water available for agriculture so that farmers can produce whether it rains or not.”

The strategy, according to him, is being pursued alongside major investments including the Galana-Kulalu project and other dam and irrigation infrastructure across the country.

The Ndigiria pan, established in 1963, is being rehabilitated to restore its capacity and support a 50-acre smallholder irrigation scheme.

The project is being implemented through the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP).

It will directly benefit over 100 farmers, reach an estimated 4,026 indirect beneficiaries and provide water for about 15,398 livestock.

Works include desilting and stabilisation of the pan, fencing, intake structure, pumping units and pipelines, balancing tanks, solar systems and on-farm irrigation infrastructure.

The CS said the goal was not just to store water, but to turn it into food, jobs and incomes.

He urged farmers to diversify into food and commercial crops and assured them of seeds, extension services and technical support.

The minister directed the contractor to work in phases to ensure residents continue accessing water, and to fast-track works to capture runoff in the coming rains.

He also ordered that livestock watering points be separated from the irrigation facility and that locals be prioritised for jobs.

Kagwe called for grading of the access road, noting that irrigation must be supported by infrastructure to move produce to markets.

At the same time, he handed over Ksh30.5 million to eight local Saccos to boost farmers’ access to financing.

Cooperatives principal secretary (PS) Patrick Kilemi said stronger cooperatives would help farmers aggregate produce and negotiate better prices.

Kilifi deputy governor (DG) Flora Chibule urged residents to own and protect the project.

Thr CS was accompanied by the PS, the DG, agriculture CECs from various counties, and senior ministry officials.