President William Ruto during a church service at ACK St. Stephen's Chepkoilel Church in Uasin Gishu County on August 2, 2026. [PCS]
President William Ruto has assured farmers that the government will roll out interventions to cushion them from the effects of crop failure caused by poor rainfall while accelerating investments in irrigation to reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture.
Speaking during a church service at ACK St. Stephen's Chepkoilel Church in Uasin Gishu County, the President acknowledged that prolonged dry conditions linked to climate change had affected food production across several parts of the country.
"We have experienced a dry spell because of climate change, and we shall put a plan to it. Through the Infrastructure Fund we shall construct 50 more dams, 200 medium dams and 1,000 water harvesting projects to ensure irrigation," Ruto said.
He noted that relying solely on rainfall was no longer sustainable and emphasized the need for irrigation, water harvesting and storage to boost food security and agricultural exports.
The President also commended farmers in the North Rift for diversifying into high-value cash crops such as avocado, macadamia and coffee.
"I hail you for moving away to introduce more cash crops like avocado, macadamia and coffee. We will ensure we support you with seedlings and provide enough resources in the coming budget because the future of our nation requires careful planning," he said.
Ruto acknowledged concerns among farmers whose crops had failed because of inadequate rainfall, assuring them that the government was preparing emergency measures to prevent hunger.