Gov’t seeks private sector financing for Ksh.598B irrigation plan

The government is seeking private sector investment to finance 61 per cent of the Ksh.598 billion National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) 2025–2035, aimed at expanding irrigation and strengthening Kenya’s food security.

Water, Sanitation and Irrigation CS Eric Muriithi speaks during the Eastern and Southern Africa Private Sector Forum on Irrigation.

Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Muriithi said public financing alone cannot meet the cost of implementing the 10-year plan, which targets expansion of irrigation to more than 1.5 million acres.

Speaking in Nairobi during the Eastern and Southern Africa Private Sector Forum on Irrigation, Muriithi called on commercial banks, development partners, equipment suppliers and agribusinesses to invest in the sector.

“Public financing alone cannot get us there, and it was not designed to. The NISIP is an instrument for rallying the whole sector including government, donors, commercial banks, equipment suppliers and agribusinesses, around one architecture, one accountability framework, and one set of outcomes,” said Muriithi.

Source: Citizen Digital