Kenya's agriculture sector, which contributes roughly 22% of GDP, directly employs over half of the workforce and sustains 75% of rural livelihoods, and has been severely affected by recent crises. Global commodity price shocks, tightening fiscal space, and intense, recurrent droughts and floods, particularly in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) have negatively affected agricultural growth. These pressures have increased food and agricultural input prices, eroded real incomes, and raised production costs for farmers and agribusinesses. These macro-climate intersections increasingly determine the availability, affordability, and stability dimensions of food and nutrition security, complicating public finance choices in a highly constrained budget environment. While multiple agricultural growth strategies have been developed, implementation has been fragmented across institutions and levels of government. Malnutrition levels remain high in ASAL counties, and the cost of a healthy diet has risen with food inflation and income constraints. Climate shocks interact with gender and social vulnerability, disproportionately affecting women's time and agency.

The government recently launched the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP), which aims to enable growth in the agricultural sector by increasing and stabilizing yields, diversifying cropping systems by introducing more nutrient-dense crops and raising rural incomes. This science-policy event will discuss research and policy analysis needs within the water-energy-food-environment nexus to support the sustainable implementation of the NISIP.

Evidence from Kenya's irrigation development experience highlights critical challenges that NISIP must address. As of 2018, only 16% of Kenya's 1.34-million-hectare irrigation potential has been developed, with technical challenges including poor water infrastructure, water scarcity, and poor water quality constraining expansion. Socio-economic barriers—particularly the high cost of modern irrigation systems (affecting 42.6% of farmers), inadequate credit facilities, and market inaccessibility—limit smallholder adoption. Institutional challenges include fragmented legal frameworks, inadequate participation by farmers (especially women), and poorly organized water user associations. Furthermore, energy costs for smallholder pumped irrigation can exceed 50% of total production costs, with high fuel prices identified as the most limiting factor for 65% of farmers using motorized pumps. Addressing these interconnected water, energy, food, and environmental constraints through integrated nexus planning is essential for NISIP's success and sustainability.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

This one-day workshop aims to:

1. Stocktaking priority research and policy analysis needs within the water-energy-food-environment nexus framework to inform sustainable NISIP implementation at national and county levels.

2. Facilitate knowledge exchange between government ministries, county officials, researchers, development partners, and civil society on evidence-based approaches to irrigation development that balance productivity, equity, and environmental sustainability.

3. Assess county-level capacity requirements for effective irrigation planning, implementation, and governance, including technical skills, institutional coordination mechanisms, and financing strategies.

4. Develop actionable recommendations for integrating WEFE nexus principles into NISIP design, investment prioritization, and monitoring frameworks to maximize synergies and manage trade-offs across water, energy, food, and environmental objectives.

5. Strengthen stakeholder alignment around a shared understanding of NISIP's role in advancing food and nutrition security, climate resilience, and sustainable rural livelihoods in Kenya's diverse agro-ecological contexts.

THEMATIC DISCUSSION AREAS

The workshop will be organized around three interconnected thematic areas, each addressing critical dimensions of NISIP implementation:

·       Water Resource Constraints and Opportunities in Support of NISIP

This plenary session will examine Kenya's water resource landscape for irrigation expansion, including physical scarcity in semi-arid regions, infrastructure deficits, governance challenges, and opportunities through rainwater harvesting, on-farm storage, and strengthened water user associations. Participants will discuss how to balance irrigation water demands with domestic needs, downstream users, and ecosystem flow requirements, drawing on evidence that smallholders show a high willingness to pay for year-round water availability and conflict reduction.

·       Integrated Water, Energy, Food Security, Nutrition, Equity, Capacity, and Governance for Sustainable NISIP Implementation

This session addresses Kenya’s irrigation development by integrating energy systems, nutrition outcomes, county capacity, and governance. Participants will consider how high fuel costs undermine the viability of smallholder irrigation and discuss transitioning to solar-powered pumps through blended-finance models that promote access for women, youth, and low-resource households. The discussion will go beyond yield maximization, focusing on nutrition-sensitive irrigation through crop diversification, better market connections, and improved dietary diversity, especially in ASAL counties facing malnutrition and rising food costs. The session also highlights county-level gaps in technical skills, institutional coordination, and sustainable financing, emphasizing participatory governance and water-user associations as crucial for long-term sustainability.

·       Sustainability, Environmental Trade-offs, and Operationalizing the WEFE Nexus

This session focuses on equity, environmental sustainability, and integrated planning for NISIP implementation in Kenya. It highlights the need for inclusive design, ecological stewardship, and cross-sectoral governance beyond technical or financial solutions. Participants will discuss barriers marginalized groups face in accessing irrigation benefits and explore targeted responses such as gender-responsive training, blended finance, and safeguards for water needs. The session extends this equity lens to sustainability, considering soil-water management, nature-based solutions, and mechanisms to address risks such as soil degradation and unequal access. NISIP’s WEFE Nexus framework underscores that successful irrigation relies on integrated solutions addressing energy, nutrition, capacity, and inclusive governance as interconnected foundations for a resilient agricultural future. Finally, it aims to operationalize the WEFE Nexus by providing practical tools for trade-off analysis, adaptive investments, and improved coordination, ensuring that NISIP investments deliver lasting, inclusive benefits for smallholder farmers.

ORGANIZING INSTITUTIONS

Lead Organizers:

CGIAR Policy Innovations Science Program – Area of Work 4 (WEFE Nexus Policy)
International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Co-Organizers:

National Irrigation Authority (NIA), Kenya
State Department of Irrigation, Kenya
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Government of Kenya

AGENDA

08:30 – 09:00 | Registration and Welcome Coffee

09:00 – 09:45 | Opening Session

·     Welcome remarks and workshop objectives – Dr Abdulkarim, Regional Representative, IWMI East Africa
·     Introduction to CGIAR Policy Innovations Science Program – Dr Clemens Breisinger, Director, System Office
·     Keynote: Kenya's National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) – Vision, Priorities, and Implementation Framework – Eng. Vincent Kabuti, Irrigation Secretary, SDI.

·     Overview of CGIAR AoW4 WEFE Nexus Policy Research – Dr Mohsin Hafeez, AoW4 Lead WEFE Nexus

09:45 – 10:45|Plenary Session: Water Resource Constraints and Opportunities in Support of NISIP Moderator: Dr Claudia Ringler, IFPRI

·     Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Water Management and Irrigation Expansion in Kenya – Dr Mohsin Hafeez
·     Energy dimensions of smallholder irrigation – costs, technologies, and transitions –Energy Dimensions - Ministry of Energy or GOGLA
·     Irrigation-nutrition linkages and food security pathways – Dr Claudia Ringler and Dr Nixon Murathi, GoK
·     Q&A from Audiences

10:45 – 11:00 | Mentimeter Survey

11:00 – 11:30 | Coffee Break

11:30 – 13:00 | Thematic Session on Integrated Water, Energy, Food Security, Nutrition, Equity, Capacity, and Governance Moderator: Dr Abdulkarim, IWMI

·       Panel Discussions (government, academia, donors/development partners, NGO)

·       Q&A from Audiences

·       Identification of specific joint research collaborative areas

13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch

14:00 – 15:30 | Thematic Session on Sustainability, Environmental Trade-offs, and Operationalizing the WEFE Nexus Moderator: Dr Mohsin Hafeez

·       Panel Discussions (government, academia, donors/development partners, NGO)

·       Q&A from Audiences

·       Identification of specific joint research collaborative areas

15:30 – 15:45 | Coffee Break

15:45 – 16:45| Synthesis and Closing Plenary

·     Rapporteur reports on key findings of thematic sessions
·     Interactive discussion: Priority research and policy needs for NISIP - SDI
·     Stakeholder commitments and next steps
·     Closing remarks - NIA

16:45 | End of Workshop