Equity Bank and State Department for Irrigation Strengthen Collaboration to Enhance Farmers' Resilience to Climate Change

The Principal Secretary for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho, CBS, paid a courtesy visit to Equity Bank Group Managing Director and CEO, Dr. James Mwangi, CBS, at his office in Equity Centre.

Equity Bank Group is a key partner of the State Department for Irrigation in implementing the Smallholder Irrigation Programme for the Mt. Kenya region, supported by KfW. This program has successfully completed 20 irrigation projects, with Phase IV currently implementing five irrigation schemes in the region.

The initiative follows a blended finance model where farmers contribute 50% of the project cost. Of this, Equity Bank provides 40% in loans, requiring farmers to contribute only 10% directly, while the government covers the remaining 50% through financing from KfW.

During their meeting, PS Kimotho and Dr. Mwangi discussed areas of collaboration under the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP), with a particular focus on expanding the smallholder irrigation program through the Community Irrigation Programme using the blended finance approach.

PS Kimotho also briefed Dr. Mwangi on the upcoming launch of the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) on March 21, 2025. This ambitious initiative aims to expand irrigation coverage by an additional one million acres through five strategic pathways:
* Farmer-Led Irrigation Development – Facilitating large-scale micro-irrigation expansion through integrated interventions.
* Enhancing Productivity of Public Irrigation Schemes – Optimizing service delivery and efficiency in public irrigation projects.
* Enabling Corporate Agribusiness – Supporting commercially oriented irrigation projects, either independently by private entities or through public-private partnerships.
* Revitalizing Irrigation in ASALs – Ensuring food and fodder production for vulnerable pastoralist communities.
* Maximizing Community Irrigation Schemes – Strengthening irrigation infrastructure at the community level.

Equity Bank and the State Department have agreed to co-create programs to scale up irrigation development, enhance farmers' resilience to climate change, create wealth for both small- and large-scale farmers, generate employment opportunities, and contribute to Kenya’s food security agenda.

PS Kimotho was accompanied by Irrigation Secretary Eng. Vincent Kabuti, OGW; Director of Irrigation Water Management, Harvesting, and Storage, Daniel Odero; David Wanyoike from the World Bank; and Stephen Nyaga.