Ruto unveils Sh400 billion mega dam plan to turn North and Coast regions into Kenya's new food basket
Ruto revealed that the government plans to spend Sh400 billion on the High Grand Falls dam alone, with additional mega dams earmarked for Upper Eastern, Lower Eastern and the Coast region as part of a wider strategy to harvest and store rainwater.
President William Ruto has announced an ambitious irrigation drive targeting vast, underutilised land in northern and coastal Kenya, saying the regions will soon become the country's next agricultural powerhouse.
Speaking in Masalani, Ijara Sub-County, the President said the proposed High Grand Falls mega dam along the River Tana will be a game-changer for arid counties, including Garissa, transforming them from low-potential areas into highly productive food zones.
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"The Coast region and northern Kenya will be our next breadbasket. We will invest heavily in both crop and livestock production for domestic use and export," he said.
Ruto revealed that the government plans to spend Sh400 billion on the High Grand Falls dam alone, with additional mega dams earmarked for Upper Eastern, Lower Eastern and the Coast region as part of a wider strategy to harvest and store rainwater.
He noted that Kenya currently relies on only 15 per cent of its landmass — the portion that receives adequate rainfall — a situation he said is unsustainable for long-term food security and economic growth.
"With mega dams harvesting enough rainwater and irrigating large tracts of land along the Tana and Daua rivers in ASAL regions, Kenya will produce sufficient food for both domestic consumption and export," he said.
President Ruto made the remarks while launching the 376-unit Masalani Affordable Housing Project before attending a nikah ceremony for Jamila Mohamed Abdiqadir and Mohamed Nurdin Yusuf, son of Director General Noordin Haji, at the Masalani Idd Grounds.
At Yussuf Haji Girls Secondary School, the President officially opened a new modern school block and laid the foundation stone for Phase II, which includes the construction of a modern dining hall. He also handed over a new school bus to the institution.
Ruto announced that the government has allocated special funds for education infrastructure and bursaries countrywide, saying investment in learning facilities is essential to building a skilled and competitive workforce.
"We must invest in the education sector to build high-quality human capital through scientific research, skills development, and technology," he said.
Further, he disclosed plans to establish the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) — Ijara Campus and upgrade Masalani Level 2 Hospital to a Level 5 facility to strengthen healthcare delivery in the region.
President Ruto reaffirmed his commitment to equitable development, pledging that every region, including historically marginalised northern Kenya, will benefit from national projects.
"I want to assure the people of northern Kenya that no part of this country will be left behind. From roads and electricity to markets and affordable housing, development will reach every corner," he said.
Ruto said northern Kenya has for years been unfairly dismissed as low potential, a label his administration seeks to overturn through large-scale investment in infrastructure, irrigation and social services.
"Of the 2.5 million acres earmarked for irrigation expansion across the country, he said 1.5 million acres will be implemented in northern Kenya and the Coast region — the largest irrigation rollout in Kenya's history," he stated.
He added that the establishment of the KMTC Ijara Campus will help train more nurses, clinical officers, technologists and other professionals needed for the rollout of universal health coverage.
"We need doctors, nurses, clinical officers and technologists who will support universal health coverage and serve communities across the country," the President said.
The Nikkah wedding ceremony was attended by Jubbaland President Ahmed Madhobe, Ethiopia-Somali region President Mustapha Muhumed Omar, Speaker of National Assembly Moses Wetang'ula, Health CS Aden Duale, governors, members of parliament, Principal Secretaries, and ambassadors, among other leaders.
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