Kenya's KES 221 Million Rombo Irrigation Expansion Project Commissioned

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Kenyan President William Ruto has commissioned the expansion of the Rombo Clusters Irrigation Development Project. Located in Kajiado South, the project has a total investment of KES 221 million. Upon completion of the expansion, the irrigated area will increase from 2,983 acres to 5,500 acres, covering the four irrigation schemes of Kisioki, Matepes, Esosioni, and Oltepesi.

According to project documents from Kenya's National Irrigation Authority, the Rombo Clusters project scope includes canal construction, water intake facilities, and spring protection works. This commissioning marks the completion of the current expansion phase, bringing the four irrigation schemes to a stable irrigation capacity of 5,500 acres.

Data released by the Kenyan government indicates that the project is expected to benefit over 6,000 households and support the cultivation of horticultural crops, food crops, and fruit trees. The government also plans to strengthen the operational management of Water Users Associations and concurrently promote the development of facilities for seeds, fertilizers, as well as agricultural produce storage, grading, packaging, and transportation.

Ruto also unveiled the Phase II development plan for the Rombo project, which proposes an additional investment of KES 250 million to add approximately 5,000 acres of irrigated land. Kajiado County currently has 37 completed irrigation projects and 22 under construction, with existing projects collectively covering 14,887 acres of farmland.

Kenya's National Agri-Food System Investment Plan for 2026–2030 identifies large-scale irrigation and mechanization as key investment priorities, planning to invest approximately KES 190 billion over five years to add 150,000 to 200,000 hectares of irrigated area. Following the commissioning of Phase I expansion of the Rombo project, the next project milestone has been clearly defined as Phase II development, which will add 5,000 acres of irrigation capacity.