By Robert Mutasi 
President William Ruto has commissioned the Ziwa 2 Earth Dam Irrigation Project in Uasin Gishu County, a government initiative expected to place 500 acres under irrigation and benefit 1,000 farming households.
The project, located in Sirikwa Location, Soy Constituency, aims to improve agricultural production by giving farmers a more reliable water supply and reducing their dependence on rainfall.
According to the National Irrigation Authority (NIA), rehabilitation works began in June 2025 and are substantially complete. The remaining farmer connections and fencing works are expected to be finalised by the end of November 2026.
The rehabilitation involved desilting the dam and reconstructing its embankment, raising its water storage capacity to one million cubic metres. Two solar-powered pumping systems have also been installed to supply water to farms.
Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho and NIA Chief Executive Officer Charles Muasya, who hosted the President during the commissioning, said the project would directly benefit 1,000 people and indirectly support another 5,000 through employment and other economic activities.
Farmers are expected to grow maize and beans alongside horticultural crops, including spinach, passion fruit, kale, tomatoes and onions. Coffee production is also among the agricultural activities targeted under the scheme.
The authority estimates that participating households could earn an average of KSh200,000 per acre annually, based on two cropping seasons. The projected earnings are intended to encourage farmers to adopt commercial farming practices and improve their incomes.
To support the initiative, the State Department for Irrigation, through the NIA, will help farmers establish and strengthen an Irrigation Water Users Association. The authority will also provide training on farming as a business and facilitate access to markets for agricultural produce.
The association is expected to help farmers coordinate water use, manage irrigation infrastructure and address challenges affecting production.
The government plans to expand the project through a second phase that will bring an additional 2,000 acres under irrigation and serve a further 4,000 households.
The proposed expansion is expected to extend the benefits of irrigation to more farmers in the area, create additional economic opportunities and strengthen agricultural production in Uasin Gishu County.
National and county government officials attended the commissioning ceremony.