Guidelines for Promotion, Development and Management of Irrigation in Kenya
Kenya has an area of approximately 582,646 square kilometres, out of this only 17% falls within medium to high rainfall areas, which are suitable for rain-fed agriculture. The rest is arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), which have highly variable, erratic and unreliable rainfall for sustainable agricultural production. Generally, rain-fed agricultural production is constrained by impacts of climate change and variability. Hence the need to shift focus from rain-fed to irrigated agriculture. The opportunities for economic growth through irrigation are immense, particularly in realizing food security and job creation. Irrigation is recognized as a key enabler for the transformation and growth of agriculture as envisaged under the Kenya Vision 2030 and the Big Four Agenda to achieve 100% food and nutrition security. The Constitution of Kenya 2010 provides for the citizens the right to be free from hunger and to have adequate food of acceptable quality. It establishes distinct and interdependent National and county governments with specific, residual, concurrent functions and powers as prescribed under Article 186 and the Fourth Schedule. The two levels of government are to operate through cooperation and consultation. The Irrigation Act, 2019, empowers the Cabinet Secretary responsible for irrigation to develop general principles, guidelines and standards for promoting development, coordination and planning of irrigation. It is in this context that the Ministry has developed these Guidelines for promotion, development and management of irrigation in Kenya, hereby referred to as ‘Guidelines’.
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Guidelines for Promotion, Development and Management of Irrigation in Kenya (1)
