During the State of the Nation address, His Excellency Dr. William Samoei Ruto, C.G.H, reiterated the need to harvest and store rainwater to increase land under irrigation especially in semiarid regions saying only 15% of Kenya can support rain-fed agriculture which is limited to feed the entire nation while 85% of Kenya does not receive sufficient rainfall.
The President said that dams can transform our Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) into productive agricultural areas to avoid relying on rain-fed agriculture.
He added that the government through the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation intends to construct 50 mega dams nationwide, alongside 200 additional medium and small dams and thousands of micro dams. He said these dams will collect and store for domestic use and irrigation with a target of at least 2.5 million acres under irrigation within the next five to seven years.
He said the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation alongside all relevant agencies, has mapped out these water projects that include High Grand Falls, a mega dam on river Daua in Mandera, Isiolo-Barsalinga dam, Yatta in Machakos, Sigly canal in Garissa, Soin Koru in Kisumu, Rumuruti in Laikipia, Thuci in Embu and Tharaka-Nithi, Lowaat in Turkana; Muhoya dam straddling Nyeri and Kirinyaga, Narosura in Narok and Arror in Elgeyo-Marakwet.
Others include Ndarugu in Kiambu, Kokwanyo in Homa Bay, Rare in Kilifi, Tongaren in Bungoma, and many more strategic sites nationwide.
“The commitment to harvest and store water is not simply about food and water security. It is a strategic, nation shaping investment, one that underpins our aspiration to be a net exporter of agricultural products; it underpins economic independence, rural prosperity, and sustainable development.” President Ruto
