The government has finally moved from rhetoric to rigs. In a bold, multi-billion shilling gamble to secure Kenya’s food future, the State Department for Irrigation has unveiled plans to construct six mega dams in 2026.

For decades, the arid lands of Turkana, Baringo, and Isiolo have been graveyards of agricultural potential, victims of a reliance on rain that no longer falls. Now, Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho declares that the era of rain-fed gambling is over. The target is ambitious: two million acres of land under irrigation, transforming the dust bowls of the ASALs (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands) into the nation’s breadbasket.

The Big Six

The project is massive in scale and geography. It involves pouring concrete into some of the most remote and neglected corners of the republic.

• Lowaat Dam (Turkana): Promising to turn the cradle of mankind into a cradle of agriculture.
• Radat (Baringo) & Thuci (Embu): Strategic reservoirs to capture the flash floods that usually bring destruction.
• Galana (Tana River/Kilifi): Reviving the dream of the Galana-Kulalu food security project, this time with better infrastructure.
• Basalinga (Isiolo) & High Grand Falls: The latter, serving Kitui and Tharaka Nithi, is set to be one of the largest water bodies in the region.

From Policy to Harvest?

"Irrigation is no longer a sidebar; it is the main story," Kimotho asserted. But Kenyans have heard this song before. The ghost of Arror and Kimwarer dams still haunts the public consciousness—projects paid for but never built. The success of this 2026 initiative hinges not on the blueprints, but on the integrity of the procurement and the speed of execution.

If successful, this push could shield farmers from the climate shocks that have decimated yields for three years running. If it fails, it will be yet another expensive monument to broken promises. For the farmers in Tana River watching the river swell and recede without benefit, the stakes couldn't be higher.