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National Irrigation Authority

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Vision: 'Irrigation for a Food Secure and Prosperous Nation'

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https://www.irrigation.go.ke/head-office/

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06/11/2026

The National Irrigation Authority (NIA) Board Chairman, Eng. Gilbert Maluki, accompanied by Director Simon Ngugi today led an inspection visit and commissioning of the first crop under the strategic collaboration between NIA and the National Youth Service (NYS) at Bura Irrigation Scheme in Tana River County.

Under this joint initiative aimed at driving national agricultural transformation, NIA has allocated 2,000 acres of scheme land to the NYS for commercial production of maize, rice, and fodder.

Operational activities on the ground are progressing rapidly, with 120 acres currently under crop cultivation and 520 acres already bush cleared. Teams on-site are working toward clearing the entire 2,000-acre block while simultaneously constructing a 9.7 km irrigation canal extension by end of November to ensure sustainable water delivery across the expanded production zone.

This multi-agency partnership underlines NIA's ongoing commitment to optimizing public agricultural infrastructure, accelerating land recovery, and securing national food safety in alignment with the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BeTA).

03/11/2026

Later the team visited Galana Kulalu Food Security Project in Kilifi and Tana River Counties to inspect the remarkable progress made in revitalising the Project by the National Irrigation Authority through strategic partnership with private investors.

Following years of infrastructure development, the impact of the project is being realised and more is set to come with progressive increment in area under irrigation.

Currently, approximately 2,000 acres is under seed maize while an additional 2,000 acres is targeted to be put under Soya Beans and 2,000 acres under commercial maize. Cropping will be increased progressively to 20,000 acres using the available water resources and installed irrigation infrastructure.

During the visit, the Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service commissioned a 1MW solar power plant installed by the investors to provide clean and affordable energy to support irrigation pumping operations and packhouse activities.

The delegation also inspected the Galana Kulalu Water Reservoir, with a storage capacity of 450,000 cubic metres. The reservoir draws water from the Galana River and serves as a desilting basin, minimising sediment accumulation and reducing wear and tear on irrigation infrastructure while ensuring a reliable water supply for agricultural production across two cropping seasons annually.

To further strengthen water security and support the project’s long-term expansion, the Authority is advancing plans for the construction of the 305 million cubic metre Athi Dam upstream. The dam is expected to provide a sustainable, year-round water supply to support irrigation across up to 300,000 acres. The National Irrigation Authority has already signed the contract for the project, with preparations for its launch at an advanced stage.

The tour further included an inspection of the newly constructed 200-metre Galana Kulalu Bridge across the Galana River. The bridge provides a direct connection between Kilifi and Tana River counties to the Malindi-Sala Gate Road, significantly improving accessibility and easing the transportation of agricultural inputs, produce and other essential commodities to markets.

The progress at Galana Kulalu demonstrates the transformative impact of irrigation development, strategic public-private partnerships and sustained investment in agricultural infrastructure. Through the project, the National Irrigation Authority remains committed to unlocking the country’s agricultural potential, expanding irrigated land, creating employment opportunities, particularly and advancing the national food security agenda as espoused in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

03/11/2026

Today, the Principal Secretary, State Department for Irrigation, CPA, Ephantus Kimotho, CBS, hosted the Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service, Mr. Felix K. Koskei, EGH and his fellow Principal Secretaries in Bura Irrigation Scheme in Tana River County.

He was accompanied by the Authority's CEO, Eng. Charles Muasya, MBS, and other officials from the State Department for Irrigation and National Irrigation Authority.

The team toured the sugarcane seed farm, rice farm and appreciated the irrigation infrastructure including canals and centre pivot irrigation systems; making irrigated agriculture possible in the Scheme.

With its growth originally confined to 6,000 acres by unreliable diesel pumping and ageing infrastructure, Bura Irrigation Scheme remained far below its gazetted 176,000 acres for years.

The 26km gravity canal implemented by the National Irrigation Authority, which was commissioned by H.E. the President in February 2025 has transformed the scheme. The gravity canal delivers 11 cubic metres of water per second and has doubled irrigation by the local farmers to 12,000 acres.

The scheme is currently doing double cropping and has also attracted private investment, with 525 acres already under seed cane production. The private investors and local farmers will open over 135,000 acres under irrigation for rice, sugarcane, cotton, maize and other high value crops.

The National Irrigation Authority remains committed to steering the country towards food security in line with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

29/10/2026

Today, the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) Chairman, Eng. Gilbert Maluki chaired a meeting comprising of board members and management staff to appreciate one of the Board Members Eng. Laban Kiplagat, the Alternate to the Principal Secretary, State Department for Agriculture who is due to retire from public service later in the year and was attending his last Board Meeting.

Eng. Kiplagat retires after an illustrious 33 years career in the public service, including 27 years of significant contribution to the irrigation sector.

The members present commended him for his dedication, hard work, candid counsel and support, noting that his invaluable advice and guidance to the Board has contributed to the Authority’s positive transformation.

On his part, Eng. Kiplagat expressed his gratitude to the Chairman, the Board, the CEO, the NIA management and staff for their support and the valuable experiences gained throughout his career. He expressed pride in witnessing the growth of NIA and challenged the team to continue strengthening the institution and remain committed to excellent service delivery.

As NIA bids farewell to a dedicated public servant, we celebrate his invaluable contribution to the irrigation sector and wishe him a fulfilling and rewarding retirement. His legacy of service, mentorship and commitment will continue to inspire those carrying forward the irrigation development agenda. Happy Retirement Director Eng. Laban Kiplagat.

25/10/2026

Today, the National Irrigation Authority participated in the 23rd Edition of the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon 2026, held at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi.

The participants from the Authority took part in the 42Km, 21KM, 10KM and 5KM races, demonstrating endurance, teamwork and commitment. Each participant was awarded a medal at the end of the event in recognition of their participation.

The Authority remains committed to participating in such initiatives as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), reaffirming its commitment to social responsibility, promoting employee wellness and fostering positive engagement with the wider community.

24/10/2026

NIA CEO Eng. Charles Muasya, EBS, accompanied the PS State Dept for Irrigation CPA Ephantus Kimotho, CBS, Board Chair Eng. Gilbert Maluki and other senior officers to the Bharat International Rice Conference 2026, held at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India.

The delegation represented Kenya at this international forum, engaging global stakeholders across the entire rice value chain to explore advancements in production, modern processing techniques, trade, cutting-edge technology, and targeted agricultural investment.

The primary objective of the delegation's participation was to forge strong partnerships with Indian investors, technology providers, and industry leaders to accelerate Kenya's domestic rice production.

By establishing strategic technical and commercial collaborations, the National Irrigation Authority seeks to significantly lower Kenya's reliance on rice imports, boost productivity across public irrigation schemes, and strengthen long-term national food security.

A key highlight of the visit involved studying India's state-of-the-art agricultural supply chains, modern milling facilities, storage systems, and port-linked logistics such as those at Pattabhi Agro Foods Private Limited and Kakinada Deep Sea Port.

These operational models offer crucial benchmarks for NIA's strategic initiative to transform the Bura Irrigation Scheme into a large-scale, commercial rice production hub.

Moving forward, the Authority plans to execute targeted follow-up engagements with prospective technical partners and investors, subject to thorough feasibility studies alongside relevant legal, commercial, and environmental guidelines.

Ultimately, this international cooperation aims to attract private sector investment, elevate farmer incomes, generate job opportunities, and build a highly competitive rice value chain in Kenya.

23/10/2026

Today, the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) team led by the Ag. Director of Irrigation Development Services, Eng. Loise Kahiga, on behalf of the CEO, Eng. Charles Muasya, MBS received the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation, led by Chairperson Hon. David Bowen, MP (Marakwet East), for an inspection tour of the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project.

The committee inspected key infrastructure project components, including the Athi/Galana dam site, ongoing preparatory works, existing irrigation infrastructure- inlet canal, water reservoir, outlet canal, installed solar power plants, and the ongoing seed maize crop production at varying maturity stages.

A major focus of the visit was on the progress of the Athi Dam and its associated irrigation conveyance system.

This key component entails constructing a 305-million-cubic-metre mixed-type dam on the Galana River, alongside an approximately 60-kilometre concrete-lined canal designed for an avg. flow capacity of 50 cubic metres per second.

The Project aims to optimize agricultural productivity across 350,000 acres through targeted investments in crop, fodder, and fish production.

Aligning directly with the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) this strategic initiative is set to significantly bolster national food security by targeting an annual yield of nearly two million tonnes of staple food grains and generating approximately KES 50 billion annually from enhanced agricultural output.

22/10/2026

Today, NIA CEO Eng. Charles Muasya, EBS, accompanied the PS State Dept for Irrigation CPA Ephantus Kimotho, CBS, Board Chair Eng. Gilbert Maluki and other senior officers for a visit to Kakinada Deep Sea Port & Pattabhi Agro Foods in Andhra Pradesh, India.

The delegation studied end-to-end models that connect large-scale irrigated rice production with modern agro-processing, quality control, and maritime export logistics, advancing Kenya’s food security goals under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

Insights gained across the production pipeline from milling and storage to shipping will guide NIA’s efforts to scale up rice production at the Bura Irrigation Scheme and connect local farmers to processors, traders, and global markets.

20/10/2026

Happy Mashujaa Day

19/10/2026

Today, the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Charles Muasya, MBS, presided over the signing of the cascaded Performance and Productivity Contracts (PCs) for the 2026/2027 Financial Year. The exercise brought together Senior Management, Scheme Managers and Regional Coordinators, reaffirming the Authority’s commitment to accountability, efficiency and results-driven service delivery.

The Corporate Communication Unit, led by , emerged as the top-performing unit among all contractees, securing 1st position and receiving a trophy in recognition of its outstanding performance.

The CEO commended staff across all levels for their dedication and collective contribution towards achieving the Authority’s performance targets. He urged teams to sustain the momentum, build on the gains made and aim for an even stronger performance rating in the 2026/2027 Financial Year.

The National Irrigation Authority remains committed to expanding irrigated agriculture, enhancing food and nutrition security, and promoting sustainable livelihoods. These efforts support the aspirations of Kenya Vision 2030, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), the Irrigation Act (Cap. 347) of 2019.

Address

Lenana Road, P. O. Box 30372
Nairobi
00100

Opening Hours

Monday	08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 17:00
Thursday	08:00 - 17:00
Friday	08:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+254 722 321 653 ,+254 20 2711380, 2711468

Website

https://irrigationauthority.go.ke/

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