Irrigation and Large-Scale Farming Key to Ending Kenya’s Food Crisis, Says CS Kagwe

The government has intensified its drive towards irrigation-led, large-scale agriculture as a long-term solution to Kenya’s recurring food shortages, driven by frequent droughts and growing climate uncertainty.

Speaking on the country’s food security strategy, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Senator Mutahi Kagwe, said Kenya must urgently transition from overreliance on rain-fed farming to scientific, technology-driven and digitally enabled agricultural systems to boost productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs).

“At the heart of our food security challenge is climate variability. We cannot continue to depend on rainfall alone,” CS Kagwe said. “Large-scale, irrigated and mechanised agriculture is no longer optional—it is essential.”

Central to the government’s strategy is the 1.8 million-acre Galana-Kulalu Food Security Project, which has been reserved strictly for mechanised, irrigated, large-scale farming. The CS stressed that the land will not be subdivided, warning that fragmentation would undermine mechanisation, efficiency, and long-term productivity.

“Subdivision of such strategic land would defeat the very purpose of irrigation and mechanised farming,” Kagwe noted. “Large-scale irrigation is critical if we are to reduce food imports, stabilise national supply, and protect the economy from external shocks.”

To accelerate investment, the government is implementing the Land Commercialization Initiative, which seeks to attract both local and international investors through a transparent and competitive framework. Kagwe said the initiative prioritises community integration, job creation, and strong economic linkages with surrounding regions to ensure inclusive growth.

He also highlighted private-sector participation as a key pillar of the strategy, citing the Nyumba Group’s large-scale irrigation projects as a benchmark for resilient, technology-driven farming in ASAL areas.

“Private sector investments such as those by Nyumba Group demonstrate that with the right technology, planning, and scale, ASAL regions can become productive agricultural hubs,” he said.

The government believes that scaling up irrigation and commercial farming will not only enhance food security but also create jobs, stabilise food prices, and strengthen Kenya’s resilience against climate change.

As climate pressures intensify, the administration says irrigation-led agriculture remains a cornerstone of its plan to achieve sustainable food security and reduce the country’s heavy dependence on food imports.