His Excellency the President Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta has signed the Irrigation Bill of 2019 into law today, August 2, 2019. The Irrigation Act is intended to support sustainable food production by outlining the roles of national and county governments in facilitating irrigation activities in the country.
The Act also sees NIA transit into an Authority and redefine its roles and responsibilities, some of which are:
1. Developing and improving irrigation infrastructure for national or public schemes;
2. Providing irrigation support services to private medium and smallholder schemes, in consultation and cooperation with county governments and other stakeholders;
3. Facilitating formation and strengthening of scheme management committees at scheme level for management of the schemes in consultation with the county governments and other stakeholders
4. Ensuring that irrigation research, innovation and training functions are carried out and appropriately coordinated.
5. Overseeing management of existing and new national or public schemes, except those under county governments, and particularly storage dams, intakes, main and secondary systems as necessary
The coming into force of the Act, tasks NIA with more responsibilities which NIA is willing and ready to undertake and deliver to Kenyans. This will see the realization of the Big 4 Agenda on food security and nutrition.