Budget Committee for Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation Meeting

Principal Secretary State Department for Irrigation CPA Ephantus Kimotho CBS today appeared before Budget Committee for Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation led by Chair Hon Kangongo Bowen. The PS presented the FY 2025/26 Budget Policy Statement which outlines priorities of the State Department and progress in various programmes, projects and strategic interventions.

Mr Kimotho presented half year of FY 2024/25 results where the state department has increased the area under irrigation by over 11,000 acres from various irrigation projects both ongoing and complete.

PS also highlighted the progress on Public Private Projects (PPP) especially Galana Kulalu Food security project where a private investor will embark on farming from April 2025 after successful trials in 538 acres where the private party harvested 35 bags per acre. Other projects on track includes Mwache dam, Siyoi Muruny dam, Umaa Dam, lower Nzoia, Lower Kuja, Bura Irrigation project, Drought Resilience Programme for Nothern Kenya, Smallholder Irrigation Program for Mt Kenya, Micro Irrigation for schools, Grand Falls dam, Thuci Dam, Galana Dam, Bura Irrigation Project, Lake Baringo irrigation development among others. Also National Expanded Irrigation Projects, and community irrigation projects are on track.

Responding to questions by the commitee PS highlighted that Kenya will stop the importation of rice in 2032 through implementation of various irrigation projects and progress of water harvesting and storage has been made. In addition he said that Bura Irrigation Project gravity intake is complete and the 26 kilometre canal that are set to be commissioned this week by H.E the President saving tax payers Sh120 million annually from pump fed irrigation which is not environmentally friendly.

However, he noted that overall budget requirement for the State Department of Irrigation for the next financial year, 2025/26, stands at Sh50.75 billion and only Sh18.863 billion has been allocated in the budget policy statement, leaving a deficit of Sh31.886 billion.

The PS indicated that despite the budget cuts, the State Department will prioritize completion of existing projects to unlock food production while utilizing the existing irrigation projects.

The PS was accompanied by CEO National Irrigation Authority Eng Charles Muasya MBS, Ag Chief Executive Officer National Water Harvesting and Storage Eng Mogun, Irrigation Secretary Eng Vincent Kabuti OGW, Secretary Administration Mr Yatich Kipkemei MBS, SCFO CPA Daniel Kihara among other senior officers.