Background
Galana Kulalu Food Security project is located in the coastal region within Kilifi and Tana River Counties, situated about 105km North West from Malindi town off the Malindi-Voi Road. The area borders Tsavo East National Park to the East and it is accessible through the Malindi-Tsavo Road.
The project involves development of physical infrastructure for viable and economic utilization of the natural resources available within or accessible to the area making up the Galana Kulalu Ranches including but not limited to water storage, conveyance and distribution, irrigation, livestock production, aquaculture road network, land development, eco-tourism among others. It consists of various enterprises including maize, sugarcane, horticulture and orchards, dairy and beef ranching, fisheries, tourism and recreation, processing industries and human settlement.
Presidential Directives
In January 4, 2023, the President issued a directive for Galana Kulalu Food Security Project to move forward under implementation of the project through Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) arrangement models. The aspects to be implemented under PPP included:
- Production on the already developed 10,000 acres, and an additional 10,000 acres in the medium term.
- Construction of Galana Dam to support another 350,000 acres for food production in the long term.
Status of Public Private Partnerships
Production in the 20,000 acres model farm
Selu Ltd submitted a Privately Initiated Proposal (PIP) to undertake production and after it was approved to move to the Project Development Phase, according to the PPP Act 2021, they embarked on trials on the already developed 10,000 acres. Their proposal was successfully evaluated and negotiations concluded. The Project Agreement was finalized, initialized and presented to the PPP committee for approval then Attorney General. After its approval it was signed and rolled out with Selu Ltd already on the ground.
Development of Athi Dam (Galana)
National Irrigation Authority (NIA) CEO, Eng. Charles Muasya, MBS and Ms. Du Shan, Deputy General Manager China Communications Construction Company Limited Kenya, signed a contract for the engineering, procurement, construction and financing of the Athi Dam ( Galana), including its associated irrigation water conveyance system on December 30, 2025.
The contract signing signifies a direct response to the Government’s commitment to lowering the cost of living and achieving national food security by transitioning from rain-fed to irrigation-based agriculture.
As a critical infrastructure project designed to anchor the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project in Tana River and Kilifi Counties, the Athi Dam (Galana) will serve as the engine for one of the nation’s most transformative agricultural initiatives.
This signing grants technical teams the immediate mandate to establish a base within the 1.75 million-acre Galana and Kulalu ranches, where they will conduct essential groundwork, rigorous evaluations and construction to ensure the dam effectively leverages the substantial water resources of the Athi/Galana River system.
Conceptualized as a massive reservoir with a capacity of 305 million cubic meters, the dam is expected to deliver an annual average of one billion cubic meters of water, facilitating the irrigation of up to 300,000 acres for at least two cropping seasons per year. Furthermore, the project will provide safe drinking water to 70,000 people directly supporting the BETA goals of affordable energy and improved healthcare through enhanced sanitation.
Beyond its primary function of water storage, the project is set to transform the coastal region into a vibrant Agri-industrial-park, featuring integrated infrastructure such as roads, power and logistics alongside state-of-the-art primary and final processing facilities.
By modeling a center that reduces post-harvest losses and aggregates production, the initiative will catalyze the manufacturing sector through value addition, while simultaneously supporting vital social infrastructure including schools, housing and health centers for the local community. Once completed, the Athi Dam and the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project will stand as a cornerstone of Kenya’s agricultural transformation optimizing crop, livestock and fish production to significantly contribute to national food security.
This holistic approach will drive the country toward a sustainable future, enhancing agri-processing capabilities and creating thousands of jobs for Kenyan youth, thereby fulfilling the promise of economic inclusion and prosperity for all.
Expansion of Galana Kulalu
Al Dahra Group LLC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at State House Kenya with National Irrigation Authority and Agricultural Development Corporation witnessed by Cabinet Secretary, Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation Eng. Eric Mugaa in the presence of His Excellency Hon. William Samoei Ruto, PhD., C.G.H. President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-In-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces.
The agreement aims to expand the Galana-Kulalu irrigation project, potentially adding up to 200,000 acres. This initiative is driven by the Kenya-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and will bring innovative agricultural practices and create vital irrigation infrastructure, boost agricultural production to enhance food security, improve livelihoods, and contribute to the Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda.
Benefits of the Project
The project is expected to:
Promote growth of agro-based industries by providing a reliable and steady supply of raw materials.
- Contribute to improved food security in the country.
- Improve income levels of the local population thereby improving their socio- economic well-being.
- Create employment opportunities and empowerment to youth and women.
- Promote growth of agro-based industries by providing a reliable and steady supply of raw materials.
