Kenya launches US$5 million solar irrigation project to expand rice production
The National Irrigation Authority will convert the Ahero pumping station into a hybrid system powered by a 500-kilowatt solar plant.
KENYA – Kenya has begun work on a US$5 million irrigation modernisation project in Kisumu County aimed at expanding rice production and improving energy efficiency at the Ahero irrigation scheme, one of the country’s key rice-growing regions.
The Government of Kenya launched the Kobong’o irrigation project on February 26 with funding of KSh650 million (US$5 million) from Hungary.
The project will modernise and extend the Ahero irrigation scheme, the country’s second-largest rice-producing area after the Mwea irrigation scheme in Kirinyaga County.
Under the plan, the National Irrigation Authority will convert the existing Ahero pumping station into a hybrid system powered partly by a 500-kilowatt solar power plant.
The shift to solar energy is expected to reduce operational costs and improve water supply reliability for farmers. In addition, the project will expand irrigated farmland by about 400 hectares, allowing more land to be cultivated for rice production.
Officials expect the project to be completed within 26 months, with full commissioning targeted for February 2027.
Eric Mugaa, Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, said the initiative will strengthen agricultural productivity while creating employment opportunities in the region.
“It is expected to create 5,000 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs and generate about KSh250 million [US$1.9 million] per year once fully operational,” he said.
He added that the expected gains align with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which prioritises increased agricultural output and reduced reliance on food imports.
Boost for local rice production
The Ahero irrigation scheme plays a notable role in Kenya’s rice supply. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that Ahero produced 32,768 tonnes of paddy rice during the 2023–2024 season, representing about 11 percent of the country’s total rice output of 293,627 tonnes.
Rice production in Kenya has shown steady growth in recent years as irrigation investment increases. KNBS data indicates that paddy production rose from 192,473 tonnes in 2020 to 290,447 tonnes in 2024, representing a 51 percent increase.
Despite the growth, domestic supply remains far below national consumption levels.
According to Trade Map data, Kenya imported about 897,977 tonnes of milled rice in 2024 valued at approximately US$504.8 million, making the country the largest rice importer in East Africa. Major suppliers include Pakistan, India, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Kisumu project forms part of a wider government drive to expand irrigated agriculture across the country. In his State of the Nation address on November 20, 2025, President William Ruto said Kenya plans to increase irrigated farmland to nearly one million hectares between 2030 and 2032.
The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that Kenya had around 288,000 hectares equipped for irrigation in 2023, highlighting the scale of expansion required to meet the government’s target.
Additional water infrastructure is also under development. In January 2026, Kenya signed a KSh40 billion (US$250 million) contract with China Communications Construction Company Limited to build the Galana Kulalu Athi Dam in Tana River and Kilifi counties.
According to the National Irrigation Authority, the dam will have a storage capacity of 305 million cubic metres and supply up to one billion cubic metres of water annually.
The project is expected to support irrigation of about 300,000 acres for at least two growing seasons each year.
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