Background

The Mwea Irrigation Development Project (MIDP) is being implemented in Mwea Irrigation Scheme (MIS), in Kirinyaga County. The gazzetted area is 30,350 acres of land where 26,000 acres are under paddy rice production. Objective of the project is to increase rice production in MIS by rational water use through construction of the Thiba dam and rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage facilities and improvement of the schemes’ operations and management thereby contributing to expansion of irrigation area, improvement in livelihood of farmers in MIS and the food self-sufficiency in Kenya.

MIS is the largest irrigation scheme in Kenya with a history of about 60 years. The scheme has led to growth of the rice sector in Kenya with supply of over 60% of domestic rice coming from Mwea. In view of food security and poverty reduction strategy, the project has been positioned as a national flagship project because of its huge contribution to the country’s overall rice production.