Solar power and data shape Kenya’s irrigation expansion plans

Kenya is turning to research, solar-powered technology and digital water monitoring to expand irrigation while protecting groundwater resources from over-exploitation, as the country seeks to increase agricultural production and strengthen food security.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is supporting the government’s irrigation expansion agenda through technical research, policy development and innovations designed to improve water-use efficiency and make irrigation schemes more financially sustainable.

Kenya has an estimated irrigation potential of 3.3 million acres, but only about 710,000 acres are currently under irrigation, according to figures presented by IWMI. The National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) provides the government’s roadmap for expanding irrigated agriculture, improving existing schemes and attracting investment into the sector.

IWMI’s Director for Water, Growth and Inclusion, Dr Inga Jacobs-Mata, says the institute is working with government agencies to help expand irrigation without putting excessive pressure on rivers and underground water sources.

One area receiving attention is groundwater-fed irrigation, which offers opportunities for farmers in areas where surface water supplies are limited. IWMI modelling estimates that Kenya has approximately 855,000 hectares of potential for groundwater-fed irrigation, with about 452,000 hectares considered economically suitable for solar-powered systems.

However, the growing adoption of solar pumps presents a water-management challenge. Although the technology reduces dependence on diesel and electricity, lower pumping costs can encourage excessive groundwater abstraction if withdrawals are not properly monitored.

IWMI is therefore supporting approaches that combine solar irrigation with safeguards to ensure that groundwater use remains within sustainable limits.

Through the Solar Energy for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR) Phase II project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the institute is also supporting the use of solar energy beyond water pumping. The initiative covers applications such as cold storage, crop drying and milling, which can help farmers reduce operating expenses and post-harvest losses.

Another area of intervention is the financial sustainability of public irrigation schemes. Dr Jacobs-Mata says Kenya’s public irrigation schemes recover only about a quarter of their operating and maintenance costs, leaving government budgets to meet much of the shortfall.

Low cost recovery can undermine maintenance, leading to deteriorating canals, broken pumps and expensive rehabilitation requirements. To address this challenge, IWMI is providing technical support towards developing sustainable irrigation water tariffs.

The institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Department for Irrigation on December 11, 2025, covering technical assistance on irrigation policy, sustainable water tariffs and the expansion of solar-powered irrigation.

Under the partnership, IWMI is supporting the development of Kenya’s first draft national guidelines for irrigation water tariffs. The technical working group coordinating the process includes the State Department for Irrigation, Water Resources Authority, National Irrigation Authority and Water Services Regulatory Board, with IWMI providing technical advice.

The proposed framework seeks to balance the cost of operating irrigation schemes with farmers’ ability to pay. It proposes full cost recovery for commercial farms, while allowing smallholder farmers to transition gradually, with safeguards such as drought relief.

Technology is also becoming central to irrigation planning through the Water Availability and Demand tool developed by IWMI, FAO and NIA. Officially handed over to NIA in January 2026, the digital platform uses satellite information and ground observations to provide data on water availability, agricultural water demand and potential storage locations.

The tool allows users to examine water conditions at county, basin and sub-basin levels, helping planners identify areas experiencing water deficits or surpluses and determine where additional storage could support irrigation.

It is expected to strengthen decisions on where irrigation investments should be directed, particularly in areas where reliable information on water availability and usage has been limited.

IWMI is also applying satellite observations and machine learning to improve flood forecasting in Turkana County, demonstrating how water data can support both agricultural planning and community resilience.

As Kenya pursues its irrigation expansion targets, the combination of research, digital monitoring, renewable energy and sustainable financing is expected to play an important role in determining how effectively available water resources can support agricultural production.