The Kenyan government is seeking private-sector financing for 61 per cent of its Sh598 billion irrigation plan, aiming to expand irrigation and strengthen food security. The plan, known as the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) 2025–2035, targets more than 1.5 million irrigated acres by 2035. This initiative is part of the government's efforts to reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture and improve food security.
The government made the call during the Eastern and Southern Africa Private Sector Forum on Irrigation 2026 held in Nairobi on October 5–6. The forum brought together government representatives and private-sector stakeholders from Eastern and Southern Africa to discuss barriers, risks and market failures affecting investment in irrigation. The push for private capital comes as the government seeks to shift irrigation from reliance on public funding towards greater participation by investors and businesses.
The financing drive targets commercial banks, development partners, irrigation equipment suppliers, agribusinesses and other private-sector players. The government is also working with the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC) through the Kenya Climate Resilient Irrigation Scale-Up (K-RISE) programme. K-RISE includes financing mechanisms intended to reduce barriers that have limited investment and lending in irrigation.
The irrigation plan requires investment from multiple sectors, including finance, agriculture, irrigation technology and equipment supply, to meet its 2035 target. The government links increased irrigation investment to job creation, farmer incomes and wider market access. By expanding irrigation, the government aims to increase agricultural production, strengthen climate resilience and improve food security.
The forum also sought to position irrigation as an investment opportunity while addressing the risks that have discouraged private financing of agricultural water infrastructure. The government aims to create an enabling environment for private-sector investment in irrigation, which will help to reduce the country's reliance on rain-fed agriculture.
Kenya has seen increasing interest in irrigation development, and the government is working to create an enabling environment for private-sector investment. The National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan is a key component of the government's efforts to develop the irrigation sector and improve agricultural productivity.
The success of the irrigation plan will depend on the government's ability to attract private-sector investment and create an enabling environment for irrigation development. The plan has the potential to transform Kenya's agricultural sector and improve food security, and its success will be closely watched by stakeholders.
Key points
- The Kenyan government is seeking Sh598 billion in funding for its irrigation plan, with 61 per cent of the funds expected to come from private investors.
- The plan aims to expand irrigation to more than 1.5 million acres by 2035, improving food security and reducing reliance on rain-fed agriculture.
- The government is working with the World Bank and International Finance Corporation to support the irrigation plan and attract private-sector investment.
