Principal Secretary for Irrigation Ephantus Kimotho on Saturday commissioned the completed Micro Irrigation for Schools Programme at Kapkoi Primary School and later hosted senior government officials during an inspection of the Lower Sabor Irrigation Scheme in Uasin Gishu County.
The school project is intended to strengthen food security, improve water access and sanitation, and support climate-smart agriculture through sustainable irrigation.
The Kapkoi Primary School project includes a solar-powered borehole, a submersible pump, a 12-metre elevated water storage tank, two drip-irrigated greenhouses, a school water point with eight taps and a community water kiosk with four taps.
The ministry said the facilities will provide a reliable water supply for the school and the surrounding community while supporting year-round agricultural production.
Speaking during the commissioning, Kimotho said access to a reliable water supply had improved sanitation at Kapkoi Primary School and the neighbouring Kapkoi Secondary School.
He said the improved access to clean water had enhanced hygiene standards and created a healthier learning environment for learners and teachers.
Kimotho also said the irrigation system would enable the schools to establish kitchen gardens and grow vegetables and other high-value crops throughout the year using drip irrigation technology.
According to the ministry, the project will also provide students with practical learning opportunities in horticulture, irrigation technologies, water conservation and climate-smart agriculture while improving access to clean water for the neighbouring community through the water kiosk.
Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Kosgei during a Farmers' Expo and inspection tour of the Lower Sabor Irrigation Scheme in Moiben Constituency, Uasin Gishu County
Later, Kimotho hosted Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Kosgei during a Farmers' Expo and inspection tour of the Lower Sabor Irrigation Scheme in Moiben Constituency, Uasin Gishu County. The delegation also included National Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo.
The delegation toured exhibition stands displaying produce from farmers benefiting from the irrigation scheme.
The ministry said the government-funded Lower Sabor Irrigation Scheme has been completed and is operational, with 280 acres developed under irrigation.
According to the ministry, the project directly benefits more than 700 households, while about 3,000 people benefit indirectly through economic opportunities along the agricultural value chain.
The ministry said the scheme was implemented at a cost of KSh288.6 million and included intake works on the Cheipkoilel River, a sedimentation tank, access roads, more than 30 kilometres of main, sub-main and distribution pipelines, cluster lateral systems and individual farmer HDPE pipe connections.
It said the irrigation scheme supports the production of coffee, potatoes, kales, cabbages, passion fruits, onions, tomatoes, avocados and other horticultural crops. The ministry added that the project is projected to generate about KSh70 million annually from agricultural production.
The ministry said the visit reaffirmed the government's commitment under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda to expanding irrigation infrastructure to enhance food security, create jobs, increase farmers' incomes and support climate-resilient agriculture.
