By Ng’wono Bw’Otwere
As Kenya grapples with recurrent droughts, climate shocks, and a rising food import bill, the government is pursuing a major shift in how the country produces food.
Irrigation and large-scale farming are now at the heart of its strategy to ensure long-term food security.
Also Read
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe says the era of relying on rain-fed agriculture is fast closing, warning that unpredictable weather patterns driven by climate change have made traditional farming models unreliable and risky for a growing population.
Kagwe argues that Kenya must urgently embrace scientific, mechanised, technology-driven and digital farming systems to dramatically increase productivity per acre, particularly in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), which make up more than 80 percent of the country’s landmass.
Irrigation, he says, is no longer optional but central to national food security. With rains becoming erratic and increasingly unreliable, he insists that only irrigated agriculture can sustainably feed the country in the long term.
At the core of this strategy is the 1.8 million-acre Galana-Kulalu Food Security Project, which the government has firmly designated as a zone for large-scale, mechanised and irrigated farming.
Kagwe has been emphatic that subdivision of the land will not be allowed, arguing that fragmentation undermines mechanisation, efficiency and productivity, ultimately defeating the purpose of the project.
For Galana-Kulalu to succeed, he says, it must operate at scale, supported by modern equipment and long-term investment.
The urgency of reform is underscored by Kenya’s heavy dependence on food imports.
The country currently imports about 92 percent of its wheat, more than 80 percent of its rice, and significant quantities of sugar, leaving households vulnerable to global price fluctuations and supply disruptions.
Kagwe believes that large-scale irrigated farming offers the most viable path to stabilising food supply, reducing the import bill and building resilience against future shocks.
To accelerate progress, the government is opening up Galana-Kulalu and other idle public lands to serious local and international investors under the Land Commercialisation Initiative.
Kagwe has assured potential investors that land allocation will be transparent, competitive and free from political interference. Beyond boosting food production, the project is expected to stimulate wide economic linkages, driving demand for fertilisers, irrigation equipment, transport, logistics and agro-processing services, much of which can be sourced locally.
As irrigation infrastructure expands, the government hopes to lower production costs, particularly for irrigation pipes, electricity and water delivery systems. Kagwe has encouraged local manufacturers to scale up capacity, noting that Kenyan-made irrigation pipes are of high quality and globally competitive.
He has also urged communities living around Galana-Kulalu to see the project as an opportunity, investing in housing, transport, retail and services to support a growing agricultural workforce, while praising investors who integrate schools, health facilities and social programmes into their operations.
During a tour of private sector projects, Kagwe highlighted Nyumba Group as a model of what large-scale, technology-driven farming can achieve.
He commissioned an 800-acre earth dam with a six-billion-litre capacity designed to support year-round irrigation, part of wider investments worth over KSh 6.4 billion that have brought more than 300,000 acres into productive use.
He also underscored the importance of strong seed systems after visiting Selu, a major seed maize producer, stressing that access to high-quality seeds is foundational to productivity, food security and climate resilience.
The CS said that sustained investment in irrigation, water harvesting and community-centred development is essential if Kenya is to transform its agriculture, cut reliance on imports and protect itself from the growing threat of drought.
