Geography and weather patterns in Kenya make irrigated agriculture indispensable since only about 20% of the country has a high or medium potential for agricultural production. Although the agricultural sector remains the backbone of the economy, the scope for expanding agricultural production through expansion of arable agricultural land is severely constrained. The estimated potential area for irrigation and drainage in Kenya is about 540,000 hectares (3,240Km2) and 600,000 hectares (3,600 km2) respectively. Table 1 shows the irrigation potential in different basins in Kenya.

Proposed New Development Programmes