Background
The National Irrigation Authority is the lead agency in the development of large scale irrigation projects, small-scale community managed irrigation projects and expansion of public irrigation schemes through construction and rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure.
Large Scale Irrigation Projects
The Irrigation Act 2019 defines large-scale irrigation schemes as schemes whose area is above 3,000 acres. Towards this end, the Authority has seen successful operation of public irrigation schemes including the largest- Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
A number of large scale projects have been identified for implementation. These projects eventually translate to strategic irrigation projects that are key food security projects in the respective counties. These projects are conceptualized around the available water resources to meet crop water requirements for projects covering a large area.
Smallholder/Community Managed Irrigation Projects
These are owned and managed by the communities with an aim of boosting their agricultural production. Smallholder Irrigation Schemes are either initiated by the Government, development partners or farmers. In line with the Irrigation Act 2019, the Authority at the national level, is responsible for smallholder irrigation schemes with acreage range from 100 to 3,000 acres. The projects are quick wins in irrigation development because the implementation cycle is short from identification, design and construction.
The structures are fairly small making them easy to construct, operate and maintain. They can also be implemented in regions with fairly limited water resource and can use different water sources including major rivers, streams, and boreholes. These projects are well distributed in various counties across the country. Currently, the Authority is implementing this cluster of projects under the National Expanded Irrigation Programme.
Expansion of Public Irrigation Schemes
The aim for Expansion of Public Irrigation Schemes is to realize more acreage and achieve food security in Kenya, the Authority is undertaking expansion and modernization of public irrigation schemes. This will see the irrigation area increase and contribute to the food security targets espoused in the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BeTA).
These programmes aims to expand the area under irrigation and increase water storage capacity through harvesting initiatives. They are designed to enhance food security, boost income generation among small-scale farmers, and promote economic growth by supporting the implementation of the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), Vision 2030, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Authority is executing these programmes and optimizing irrigation schemes to improve agricultural productivity. The goal is to increase the area under irrigation from the current 773,000 acres in FY 2022/2023 to 1,289,142 acres by FY 2027/2028, and to raise irrigated rice and maize production from 192,299 tons and 195,921 (90kg) bags respectively in FY 2022/2023 to 700,000 tons and 3 million (90kg) bags by FY 2027/2028.