NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 9 — Irrigation and climate-smart agriculture took centre stage in Nairobi on Thursday as farmers, government officials, researchers, development organisations and faith-based groups explored ways to help communities cope with water shortages and changing weather patterns.
Speaking at the “Growing Together: A Showcase of Climate-Smart Agriculture” event at Mount Carmel Convent Farm in Lavington, Israeli Ambassador to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and Seychelles Gideon Behar said irrigation was among the most pressing agricultural needs facing Kenya and Africa.
“The issue of climate change is indeed here. Now, when I look at Kenya and Africa, I know that the most pressing issue in my opinion is really to move into irrigation,” Behar said.
The event brought together representatives from government, research and academic institutions, development organisations, the private sector, the diplomatic community and faith-based organisations. It featured presentations on climate-smart farming, a tour of the demonstration farm and the planting of fruit trees.
Behar said agricultural technologies introduced to farmers should be practical and easy to understand, citing drip irrigation and Israel’s experience in water management.
Israeli Ambassador to Kenya Gideon Behar and Secretary to the Cabinet Mercy Wanjau tour a demonstration farm during the Growing Together: A Showcase of Climate-Smart Agriculture event at the Mount Carmel Convent Farm in Lavington, Nairobi, on Thursday, August 6, 2026/Spencer Walela.
“Every answer that we give must be simple. It must be an answer a farmer can understand. A farmer in Embu, a farmer in Kisumu… they must have access to simple solutions that change life,” he said.
Secretary to the Cabinet Mercy Wanjau said agriculture remained a major government priority and linked food security directly to access to water.
“Food is life. Without water, there’s no food, there’s no life,” Wanjau said.
She said the event demonstrated the importance of collaboration between communities, development partners, the Israeli government and Kenya in addressing agricultural challenges.
Wanjau cited the Swahili proverb “Jiwe moja haliinjiki chungu” to underscore the need for partnerships.
“Then we have partners on the other side. The Embassy of Israel, the State of Israel coming in with the technical aid and assistance. Then the third stone is the Government of Kenya,” she said.
She said climate change was already affecting communities and called for locally appropriate and sustainable solutions.
“Climate crisis is here with us… So the question is, what must we do? We must join hands and co-create sustainable solutions,” Wanjau said.
The Embu experience was presented by CultivAid Nursery Manager Wincate Kariuki, who said the organisation began propagating seedlings after identifying difficulties farmers faced in accessing quality planting materials.
The nursery initially had a capacity of 1.2 million seedlings annually and distributed one million seedlings to farmers in Embu and other counties last year, she said.
CultivAid has since expanded its nursery capacity and established model farms across Embu County, where farmers are trained on drip irrigation, bed preparation and integrated pest management.
The organisation has also introduced attachment and internship programmes aimed at developing young agronomists who work directly with farmers.
Kariuki urged young people to reconsider their attitude towards agriculture.
“Do not only change your WhatsApp status. Change your mentality on farming. Grab something, grow with something home, learn something,” she said.
A similar model has been established at the Sisters of Mount Carmel, where drip irrigation and greenhouses are being used to grow crops including capsicum.
For Nora Igoki, a farmer from Evurore Ward in Mbeere North Sub-County, Embu County, access to water remains the biggest obstacle to farming.
Igoki leads the Green Paradise Water Project, a community group whose members contribute towards irrigation from the Thuchi River.
She said the group has 780 members and, after approaching the government through their MP, received pipes that enabled it to provide water to more than 400 members.
CultivAid later helped establish a model farm on one of the members’ farms, providing drip irrigation materials, farm inputs and training.
The demonstration farm is now producing tomatoes, kales and other crops, with some farmers already selling their produce.
Igoki said the initiative had also encouraged young people who had previously moved to towns in search of employment to return to farming.
However, more than 380 members of the group still lack access to water.
“At our place, land is not an issue. The issue is water. That is what we are lacking,” she said.
She called for more model farms to be established so that additional farmers could access irrigation technologies and training.
Dr Ayao Sindu of the Kenya Water Institute said research and innovation would have limited impact unless knowledge reached farmers.
He said changing weather patterns were increasing pressure on agricultural systems and making it necessary for farmers to adopt new approaches.
“Knowledge in the books or on the shelves does not transform anything. It must be fed, it must be supplied, it must be presented to those who make better use of it,” Sindu said.
He cited digital agriculture, remote sensing, artificial intelligence and precision agriculture as some of the technologies being used to support decisions on planting, water management, pest surveillance and markets.
Sindu called for stronger links between research institutions, universities, government agencies, extension services, private companies, financial institutions and farmers.
He also said farmers should be involved in developing solutions rather than simply receiving technologies developed elsewhere.
“What happens in Nairobi cannot actually practically work in Embu. What works in Embu can’t work in Nyanza. So it’s important that we involve these farmers… to co-create solutions that are sufficient in their areas,” he said.
Behar said Kenya and Israel had cooperated in agriculture for decades, with thousands of Kenyans travelling to Israel for agricultural training before returning to work in Kenya.
He said the cooperation also extends to water, agriculture, science, technology, energy, defence and cybersecurity.
Behar highlighted Israel’s experience in irrigation and wastewater treatment, saying 50 per cent of agriculture in Israel is irrigated and that the country purifies 97 per cent of its sewage water for reuse.
“We use drip irrigation,” he said, adding that the technology could offer practical lessons for Kenyan farmers.
He said the Israeli Embassy was ready to work with the Kenyan government, the Catholic Church, Water for Mercy and CultivAid on technology transfer.
“What we need to do is to make the knowledge accessible, is to help the ones who want to create the change to make the change,” Behar said.
Nairobi Archbishop Philip Anyolo placed water at the centre of the food security discussion, saying it was fundamental to both human life and agricultural production.
“The basic thing for our lives is water. It’s a basic need. And the basic need for growth is water,” Anyolo said.
He cited the Kikuyu expression “Kuuga na gwika”, meaning that people must both speak and act.
Father Peter Kiari, Executive Director of Caritas Nairobi, said the Archdiocese of Nairobi was implementing programmes focused on food security, water and livelihoods.
He said Caritas also runs socio-economic empowerment programmes, including financial literacy initiatives designed to improve household incomes.
“We want to empower our people so that they can earn their own livelihood and live a dignified life,” Kiari said.
The event ended with the ceremonial planting of fruit trees and a tour of the demonstration farm, where participants viewed irrigation systems, greenhouses and crops.
The experience of farmers such as Igoki highlighted the challenge ahead: demonstrating climate-smart technology is one step, but ensuring it reaches communities where water remains scarce is another.