This is according to a newly launched National Irrigation Services Strategy which also shows that the irrigation potential stands at an estimated 3,354,750 acres.
The budget covers the cost of irrigation infrastructure development, water harvesting and storage structures, sector capacity building, targeted support programmes and information management.
The strategy bases the ability on the available surface water, exploitation of ground service water resources, water harvesting and storage.
“There is an additional potential of 225,000 hectares (562,500 acres) from drainage and flood protection,” part of the strategy shows.
Of this, only 216,000 hectares (540,000 acres) of irrigation potential (16 per cent) and 32,000 hectares (80,000 acres) of drainage and flood protection potential (14 per cent) have been developed.
Water, Sanitation and Irrigation CS Alice Wahome said the preparation of the strategy involved a consultative process with various stakeholders in the sector.
They included development partners, sector ministries and departments, County governments, the private sector and irrigation farmers who provided useful views, inputs and comments.
She thanked all the stakeholders for their participation and inputting into the strategy.
Wahome voiced her concern on the challenges facing the country in terms of food security due to perennial drought as result of climate change, underscoring the place of irrigation in offering the best intervention towards addressing these challenges to feed the nation.
She said the proposed interventions in the strategy aim to address the challenges facing the sector, and unlock the potential for irrigation to contribute to national food security and socio-economic development of the country
‘‘In the last five years, the State Department for Irrigation in collaboration with development partners and other stakeholders has made achievements in addressing the policy, legal and institutional setup for catalysing irrigation development,’’ she said.
These include; development of the National Irrigation Policy, 2017; enactment of the Irrigation Act, No.14 of 2019; preparation of Irrigation (General) Regulations 2021; development of the National Irrigation Services Strategy 2022-2026; and preparation of Guidelines for Promotion, Development and Management of Irrigation in Kenya.
These instruments have detailed provisions and mechanisms for addressing all aspects of irrigation development and management.
The CS said the formulation of the National Irrigation Services Strategy (NISS) is a significant step towards demand-responsive investments to sustainably exploit the untapped potential by expanding and intensifying irrigated agriculture.
The strategy aims at actualising the aspirations of the National Irrigation Policy. It identifies the key constraints to irrigation development and management, while also defining strategic interventions to address them.
The strategy says this has been realised through development of schemes, which are categorised based on ownership whether public, or private owned, size whether large, medium or small scale.
The National Irrigation Services Strategy was launched January 26 by CS Wahome.
The strategy is aimed at realising the aspiration of irrigation policy 2017.
It says irrigation in the country accounts for two per cent of land under agriculture.
Vision 2030 has identified increasing irrigation land as a priority aimed at increasing agricultural production to enhance national food and nutrition security.
The move will also guarantee supply of raw materials for agro-industries, create wealth and employment opportunities.
Irrigation contributes three per cent to GDP and account for 18 per cent of all value of all agricultural produce.
The irrigation sector however faces several challenges that include inadequate development of irrigation infrastructure, inadequate water for irrigation, inadequate funds, inadequate operations and maintenance of irrigation schemes.
Other challenges include poor irrigation support services, weak farmer organisation, low farmer participation in irrigation development, and poorly developed marketing channels for irrigated enterprises produce.
The strategy has identified important strategic issues that need to be addressed in the sector.
The key issues include inadequate mapping of irrigation areas, unexplored irrigation potential, unfavourable land access and use rights, inadequate water for irrigation, poor management of irrigation schemes, poor management of irrigation enterprises, and the related value chains, and limited access to quality irrigation services.
Other constraining issues that are crucial to irrigation development include inadequate institutional arrangements for irrigation development, limited capacity for irrigation development and management, limited research and innovations, inadequate information for planning and decision making.
The National Irrigation Services Strategy has also identified cross-cutting issues that affect irrigation development and management.
These include limited inclusivity in irrigation planning and development, environmental concerns and their impact on irrigation development.
The strategy has also outlined strategic interventions to stimulate and guide the development and address constraints in the irrigation sector.
The interventions include expanding irrigation infrastructure, harvesting and storage of water, recycling, enhancing resource mobilisation and utilisation.
The strategy also calls for improving sustainability irrigation systems by promoting water efficient irrigation technologies, enhancing technical and management capacity of irrigation professionals. Also improving operations management, and promoting participatory irrigation development and management.
The strategy says the interventions will be supported by improving enabling irrigation sector legal and regulatory framework, technical and institutional capacity building, improving research and technology.
-Edited by SKanyara
