Across Nandi county and the wider North Rift region lies an often-overlooked asset that could help transform agricultural production and strengthen Kenya’s food security: the small and medium-sized dams constructed decades ago, many during the colonial period.

Once important sources of water for livestock, domestic needs and agricultural activities, some of these facilities have deteriorated over time due to siltation, ageing infrastructure and inadequate maintenance. Yet, with strategic rehabilitation and investment in irrigation distribution systems, they can once again become engines of rural prosperity.

The revival of these dams offers a practical opportunity to unlock existing water resources, support farmers and accelerate the government’s commitment to expanding irrigation under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

The colonial-era dams scattered across Nandi and the North Rift were developed to support agricultural production, livestock and rural water needs. Their locations often took advantage of the region’s natural drainage systems and favourable topography. Over the decades, however, changing land-use patterns, catchment degradation and limited maintenance have reduced the capacity and usefulness of some of these facilities.

Today, restoring viable dams through desilting, embankment repairs, spillway improvements and catchment conservation can provide a relatively quick route to improving water storage. More importantly, connecting these reservoirs to farms through well-designed reticulation systems will allow communities to use the water for productive purposes.

For a region with strong agricultural potential, this means less dependence on unpredictable rainfall, improved production of vegetables and other high-value crops, better livestock management and more reliable household incomes.

The State Department for Irrigation is pursuing this vision through an allocation of Sh300 million targeting priority water infrastructure across Nandi as a first-phase activity towards rehabilitation of 12 colonial water facilities. In addition, five other dams are undergoing processing for possible rehabilitation, reflecting the wider effort to identify and restore viable community water infrastructure across the county.

These interventions demonstrate an important principle: water infrastructure must be planned as a complete system. Rehabilitating a dam is only the first step; reticulation to farms, sound water management, catchment protection and market access are equally important if investments are to deliver sustainable results.

The rehabilitation programme complements the President’s pledge to develop 1,000 small dams and 200 medium-sized dams. While new dams will expand the country’s water storage capacity, rehabilitating technically and economically viable existing facilities offers an opportunity to accelerate delivery and maximise the value of infrastructure already in place.

Under BETA, these investments can contribute directly to food security, agricultural commercialisation, employment creation and improved rural incomes. They can also provide opportunities for young people in construction, irrigation technology, water management, extension services and agricultural value chains.

The approach is relevant well beyond Nandi. Across the North Rift and other regions, restoring neglected dams and linking them to farms can strengthen climate resilience and help communities sustain production through changing rainfall patterns.

During my recent public participation exercise across Nandi, undertaken in my capacity as Principal Secretary for Irrigation, I engaged communities and local leaders on the proposed rehabilitation of dams and the extension of water to farms for irrigation.

One key lesson from these engagements was the importance of responding to the practical needs of communities. Residents want infrastructure that does more than store water; they want reliable access that improves agricultural production, household livelihoods and local economic opportunities.

The engagements also reinforced the value of involving communities from project identification through implementation and management. Their participation helps establish priorities, strengthen ownership and promote accountability in the use of public resources. The next priority is to translate these views into technically sound, properly costed projects with clear implementation arrangements.

Nandi and the wider North Rift have an opportunity to turn ageing dams into productive assets for a new generation of farmers. With appropriate rehabilitation, irrigation reticulation and community participation, these facilities can support year-round farming, improve food availability and strengthen resilience to climate change.

The task before us is not simply to build new infrastructure, but also to restore, connect and maximise the value of what we already have. By reviving these dams, we can transform a neglected legacy into a foundation for water security, agricultural prosperity and the realisation of Kenya’s BETA development ambitions.