Kenya signs new partnership with IWMI to boost irrigation, food security

The Ministry of Water and Irrigation has signed a new partnership with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), marking a major step toward strengthening Kenya’s water management systems, improving irrigation efficiency, and enhancing national food security.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho and IWMI’s East Africa Representative Abdulkharim Seid, is expected to unlock technical expertise, research support, and innovative investment models tailored to advance Kenya’s irrigation priorities.

Speaking during the signing ceremony on Thursday, PS Kimotho highlighted the importance of leveraging ongoing reforms and research initiatives.

He said, “We will also be signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the State Department of Irrigation and IWMI. It’s more to do with taking advantage of what we have been doing. We will be leveraging some of the reforms we want to implement to unlock the potential of NISIP. We will see how we can leverage on each other."

The partnership will accelerate key interventions under the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP), including comprehensive baseline studies, mapping of existing irrigation schemes, and assessing land suitability for expansion and rehabilitation.

In addition, the Ministry will work on developing a sustainable irrigation water tariff, a crucial gap in sector regulation.

“The second initiative we are undertaking with IWMI is a concept note to prepare an irrigation water tariff. This has been one of the key issues that we need to address in preparing the next phase in irrigation water harvesting development,” explained Festus Kani, Director of Quality Assurance at the State Department of Irrigation.

"We have never had an appropriate tariff or any tariff that can be benchmarked or used in paying for water-use fees."

IWMI will contribute research-based evidence, scientific tools, and global best practices drawn from across the Global South to support Kenya’s transition to climate-smart agriculture.

"IWMI brings evidence-research-based, science-based evidence, tools and experiences from across the Global South and beyond. That will be useful in scaling development and innovations in most of the Global South, now in East Africa, Kenya. We will be happy to support the implementation of NISIP. The MoU is just the beginning. What really matters is what we make out of it,” said Abdulkharim Seid, IWMI’s representative for East Africa.

The collaboration also aims to strengthen integrated data systems, promote nature-based solutions such as stormwater harvesting and wastewater recycling, and expand the use of solar-powered irrigation technologies.

The Ministry emphasised that the partnership aligns with the government’s BETA Agenda on food security, particularly efforts to expand irrigation coverage and build resilience among farmers facing climate-related risks.

The two institutions will now begin joint resource mobilisation to implement research, development, and innovation projects under the MoU, which both parties describe as the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership to advance sustainable and equitable irrigation development in Kenya.