How Ruto's dam project will benefit 1,000 farmers
Rift Valley
By
David Njaaga
| Oct 13, 2026
President William Ruto has commissioned an irrigation project in Uasin Gishu County that will bring 500 acres under irrigation and help 1,000 farmers reduce their dependence on rainfall.
The Ziwa 2 Earth Dam Irrigation Project in Sirikwa Location, Soy Constituency, underwent rehabilitation, including desilting the dam and reconstructing its embankment, raising its water storage capacity to one million cubic metres.
The project has two solar-powered pumping systems, each capable of pumping 50 cubic metres of water per hour at a 60-metre head, to supply water for irrigation.
Works began in June 2025 and are substantially complete. The State Department for Irrigation expects to connect the remaining farmers and complete fencing of the dam by the end of November 2026.
Farmers will grow maize and beans alongside horticultural crops such as spinach, passion fruit, kale, tomatoes, onions and coffee. The project will support two cropping seasons annually, with each household projected to earn an average of Sh200,000 per acre annually.
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The government expects the scheme to improve food production and household incomes while creating employment opportunities in surrounding communities.
The project is expected to benefit 1,000 people directly and another 5,000 indirectly through employment and related economic activities.
Principal Secretary for Irrigation Ephantus Kimotho and National Irrigation Authority Chief Executive Officer Charles Muasya hosted Ruto during the commissioning.
The State Department for Irrigation plans to support farmers through training, market linkages and the formation and registration of an Irrigation Water Users Association to manage the scheme.
A second phase is planned to bring another 2,000 acres under irrigation and serve an additional 4,000 households.
The expansion would extend irrigated farming to more communities, although the government has not provided a timeline for the second phase.