Transforming Africa’s water systems essential to achieving food security, CS

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS), Mutahi Kagwe, has called for increased investment in irrigation, water conservation and climate-smart agriculture to strengthen food security and reduce Africa’s dependence on rain-fed farming.

Kagwe highlighted that inadequate irrigation infrastructure, water scarcity and climate change continued to undermine agricultural productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas, requiring governments to adopt sustainable approaches to water and soil management.

Speaking during the commemoration of the 17^th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, the CS noted that sustainable management of water resources was essential for improving agricultural production, nutrition and farmers’ livelihoods.

The 17^th ADFNS brings together government representatives, development partners, private sector players, and youth agripreneurs, to discuss practical approaches to improving food and nutrition security across Africa.

Kagwe encouraged participants to strengthen cooperation towards building resilient food systems and ensuring a food-secure and prosperous continent.

He cited that only 5.7 percent of Africa’s cropland was equipped for irrigation in 2023, compared with approximately 22.6 percent globally, according to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

“Transforming Africa’s water systems is essential for achieving food security, improving public health, and building sustainable and resilient food systems,” stated Kagwe.

The commemoration was held under the theme, ‘Harnessing Sustainable Water for Resilient Agrifood Systems, Nutrition Security and Inclusive Prosperity in Africa’.

The CS said water was central to every stage of food production, from seed germination and crop growth to food processing and distribution, adding that sustainable water management could improve yields while protecting the environment.

He called for increased investment in water harvesting and storage, efficient irrigation systems, protection of water catchment areas, and measures to prevent water pollution.

The CS urged governments and development partners to strengthen water governance, promote safe wastewater reuse, and equip farmers with appropriate technologies and training to improve productivity.

He pointed out that communities in arid and semi-arid lands needed particular support to manage water resources sustainably and adapt to changing climatic conditions.

Kagwe observed that climate change was altering rainfall patterns, prolonging droughts, increasing temperatures and causing floods, thereby threatening agricultural production and the livelihoods of millions of farmers.

He cited Kenya’s Galana-Kulalu Food Security Project, as one of the initiatives aimed at increasing agricultural production through irrigation and reducing reliance on rainfall.

The project, located in Kilifi and Tana River counties along the Coast, covers approximately 1.75 million acres and seeks to transform dry land into productive agricultural zones, through irrigation and commercial farming.

Implemented through a Public-Private Partnership, the initiative aims to increase the production of staple crops, particularly maize, while creating employment opportunities and supporting agricultural value chains.

Kagwe established that such investments were important in building national food reserves, strengthening agricultural value chains, and improving the country’s capacity to withstand climate-related shocks.

He emphasised the need to integrate soil health and water security, saying the two resources were inseparable in efforts to achieve sustainable food production.

“Healthy soils and secure water supplies are not merely agricultural resources; they are the foundation of our food systems, our livelihoods, our economies, and our future,” he affirmed.

The CS explained that healthy soils helped retain moisture, recycle nutrients, support biodiversity and reduce erosion, enabling crops to withstand dry spells and improving agricultural resilience.

He called for increased adoption of sustainable soil management practices, including soil testing, balanced fertiliser application, composting, agroforestry, crop rotation, and conservation agriculture.

CS Kagwe said fertilisers should be affordable and accessible to farmers, but their application needed to be guided by soil conditions, crop requirements, and environmental sustainability.

He cited the government’s fertiliser subsidy programme, which reduced the price of a 50-kilogramme bag from commercial highs of between Sh6,500 and Sh7,500 to Sh2,500 initially, before a further reduction to Sh2,000 by 2026.

The intervention, alongside other measures, he argued, had contributed to an increase in national maize production from 34.3 million bags in 2022 to an estimated 71 million bags in 2025.

Kagwe called for the wider adoption of climate-smart agriculture, saying smallholder farmers needed access to drought-tolerant seeds, climate information, extension services, affordable financing, suitable equipment, and reliable markets.

He maintained that climate-smart agriculture should focus on increasing productivity, helping farmers adapt to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible.

The CS urged governments, research institutions, financial institutions, the private sector and development partners to work together to make these resources accessible, particularly to women and young farmers.

He mentioned that the African Union’s Nairobi Declaration on Fertilizer and Soil Health provided a framework for strengthening soil fertility, improving access to appropriate fertilisers, and mobilising investment in sustainable soil management.

Kagwe challenged delegates at the continental meeting, to move beyond declarations and translate their commitments into measurable improvements in food production, nutrition, and livelihoods.

He called for stronger political commitment, increased investment in climate-smart agriculture, sustainable management of natural resources and enhanced partnerships among governments, research institutions, development partners and farming communities.

By Aron Kinyamasyo