NIA HOSTS PS FOR THE NATIONAL TREASURY, DR. CHRIS KIPTOO, FOR PROGRESS REVIEW OF A SERIES OF HIGH-IMPACT DROUGHT MITIGATION AND IRRIGATION PROJECTS IN UASIN GISHU COUNTY.
The Principal Secretary for the National Treasury, Dr. Chris Kiptoo, inspected a series of high-impact drought mitigation and irrigation projects in Uasin Gishu County, including the Kimuri, Kerita, Sugutek and Ziwa 2 Earth Dams on March 13, 2026. He was accompanied by the Authority’s CEO Eng. Charles Muasya, MBS, local leaders and other senior government officials.
Strategically located across Kapseret, Kesses, Moiben and Soy Constituencies, these projects represent a robust investment designed to anchor the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). By providing sustainable irrigation water, the dams are facilitating a shift towards high-value agricultural production and long-term climate resilience.
The Kimuri Earth Dam in Kapseret is currently 98% complete and operational, successfully reclaiming 400 acres for irrigation. Utilizing solar-powered pumping and two 108-cubic-meter steel tanks, the project supports 800 farming households.
In Kesses Constituency, the Kerita Earth Dam is 100% complete and ready for official handing over. Targeting 1,000 acres of land, it benefits 500 direct farmers and provides the infrastructure necessary for 2,500 indirect beneficiaries.
Sugutek Earth Dam in Moiben is currently 71% complete and will irrigate 80 acres for 160 farmers upon completion. Meanwhile, the Ziwa 2 project in Soy is progressing steadily at 62%. Targeting 500 acres and benefiting 1,000 farmers, Ziwa 2 features storage tanks and conveyance pipelines; it will soon deploy a 60-kilometer distribution network to support both cereals and horticultural crops like passion fruits and onions.
Across all four sites, the economic impact is profound. Financial analyses confirm that these projects are highly viable, with payback periods of just two to three years. Farmers are expected to cultivate horticulture crops such as French beans, snow peas and chillies among others.
PS Kiptoo expressed high satisfaction with the progress and good job being done by @Irrigation_auth, noting that these investments demonstrate value for money and serve as high-impact interventions for local communities. He commended the National Irrigation Authority, for the outstanding work in ensuring these projects are both financially and socially viable.
The PS emphasized the Government’s unwavering commitment to unlocking the full potential of these projects noting that such initiatives are the cornerstone of BETA and are poised to play a crucial role in enhancing national food security and wealth creation.