Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe speaking in Kilifi County where he launched the Sh79 million rehabilitation of the Ndigiria Water Pan in Bamba on August 20, 2026 / HANDOUT

Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe has called for a rapid expansion of irrigation as Kenya seeks to meet the food needs of a growing population amid increasingly unreliable rainfall.

Kagwe said the country must produce more food from every available acre because the population is increasing while the country’s landmass remains unchanged.

“The population is growing, and that does not mean the size of Kenya will increase. It is therefore important that we have water available to match that growth and feed our population,” he said. 

The CS spoke in Kilifi where he launched the Sh79 million rehabilitation of the Ndigiria Water Pan in Bamba.

The project is part of the government’s wider irrigation and food security strategy, which seeks to reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture by increasing water storage and expanding irrigated farming.

Kagwe said Kenya should capture water during rainy seasons instead of allowing large volumes of runoff from seasonal rivers to go to waste before communities face water shortages during dry periods.

Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe speaking in Kilifi where he launched the Sh79 million rehabilitation of the Ndigiria Water Pan in Bamba on August 20, 2026 / HANDOUT

He said the government’s approach includes harvesting runoff from seasonal rivers, storing river water, constructing and rehabilitating dams and water pans, and tapping groundwater through deep boreholes where viable.

“Kenya cannot continue depending on rain alone to feed its people. We must have water available for agriculture so that farmers can produce whether it rains or not,” Kagwe said.

He said the strategy is being implemented alongside major irrigation investments, including the Galana-Kulalu project, as well as programmes to develop dams and irrigation infrastructure across the country.

The Ndigiria Water Pan was established in 1963 and is being rehabilitated to restore its water-holding capacity and support a 50-acre smallholder irrigation scheme.

Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe launches rehabilitation of the Ndigiria Water Pan in Bamba in Kilifi on August 20, 2026 / HANDOUT

The project is expected to directly benefit over 100 farmers, reach an estimated 4,026 indirect beneficiaries and provide water for approximately 15,398 livestock.

Implemented through the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), the rehabilitation will involve desilting and stabilising the water pan, fencing, construction of an intake structure, installation of pumping units and distribution pipelines, balancing tanks, solar power systems and farm irrigation infrastructure.

Kagwe said the objective was to turn stored water into food, employment and household incomes.

He urged farmers to diversify their production by combining food crops with commercially viable crops to strengthen food security while creating additional sources of income.

Farmers allocated land under the scheme will also receive seeds, extension services and technical support.

Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe speaking in Kilifi where he launched the Sh79 million rehabilitation of the Ndigiria Water Pan in Bamba on August 20, 2026 / HANDOUT

The CS directed the contractor to undertake the rehabilitation in phases so that residents can continue accessing water during construction.

He also called for the works to be accelerated to enable the pan to capture runoff during the coming rains.

Kagwe directed that livestock watering points be separated from the irrigation facility and instructed the contractor to prioritise residents for employment opportunities.

He also called for the road leading to the water pan to be graded, saying irrigation infrastructure must be supported by roads that allow farmers to transport their produce to markets.

The CS pledged to champion the improvement of the wider Bamba road network at Cabinet level.

The project also includes a financial empowerment component, with Kagwe handing over KSh30.5 million to eight local SACCOs to strengthen farmers’ access to financing.

Principal Secretary for Cooperatives Development Patrick Kilemi said stronger cooperatives would help farmers aggregate their produce, access markets and financing and negotiate better returns.

Kilifi Deputy Governor Flora Mbetsa Chibule urged residents to take ownership of the project and protect the infrastructure to ensure it benefits the community for generations.

The Ndigiria project forms part of the government’s broader strategy to expand agricultural water infrastructure through large-scale irrigation projects, dams, community water pans, river-water harvesting and deep boreholes.

The strategy seeks to capture and store water when it is available and use it to support food production throughout the year.

CS Kagwe was accompanied by County Executive Committee Members for Agriculture from various counties and senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.