Background, Vision and Mission

The National Irrigation Authority (NIA), formerly known as the National Irrigation Board (NIB), was established, and incorporated as a state corporation in 1966, vide Irrigation Act, Cap 347 of the Laws of Kenya. This Act was reviewed and replaced with the Irrigation Act No 14 of 2019 which transitioned NIB to NIA.

The Authority’s main objective as provided in the Act is to provide for the development, management and regulation of irrigation, to support sustainable food security and socioeconomic development in Kenya, and for connected purposes.

Irrigation is anchored on the Kenya Vision 2030, MTP IV, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), Constitution of Kenya, and other legal and policy documents and further cascaded in the Authority’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027.

The 2023-2027 Strategic Plan guides the Authority’s activities in steering Kenya towards a food-secure and prosperous nation through the development, coordination and management of sustainable irrigation services for socio-economic development in Kenya. The Plan’s key result areas include; Sustainable Irrigation Management, Irrigation Research and Innovation, Sustainable Irrigation Development, Sustainable Water for Irrigation and Governance and Service Delivery.

Part III, Section 7(1) of the Irrigation Act 2019 establishes the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) whose functions are;

1. Develop and improve irrigation infrastructure for national or public schemes;
2. Provide irrigation support services to private medium and smallholder schemes, in consultation and cooperation with county governments and other stakeholders;
3. Provide technical advisory services to irrigation schemes in design, construction supervision, administration, operation and maintenance under appropriate modalities, including agency contracts, as may be elaborated in regulations to this act.
4. In consultation with county governments and other stakeholders;
   1. Facilitate formation and strengthening of irrigation water users’ associations at scheme level for operation, maintenance and management;
   2. Facilitate formation and strengthening of scheme management and dispute resolution committees at scheme level for management of the schemes and resolution of disputes relating to scheme management;
   3. Promote the marketing, safe storage and processing of crops, animal and fish products grown or produced on national and other irrigation schemes and to liaise in this regard with other responsible state agencies and organizations;
   4. Carry out periodic researches to determine and make recommendation on fair prices for crops, animals and fish products grown or produced on national and other irrigation schemes;
5. In consultation with the cabinet secretary and county governments, co-ordinate and plan settlement on national or public irrigation schemes, as well as schemes which traverse or straddle more than one county and determine the number of settlers thereof;
6. Facilitate linkages between and among the national government and county governments, private sector, civil society organizations, communities and other stakeholders for the provision of support services to irrigation water user associations;