Ruiru Prison Farm to grow coffee on 100 acres under Sh73m irrigation project

A Sh73 million irrigation project at Ruiru Prison Farm in Kiambu County will put 100 acres under coffee and more than 20 acres under horticulture as part of a government plan to turn the farm into a source of food and income.

The project will also establish a tree nursery capable of producing about 18 million seedlings each year, supporting the government's 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme and generating an estimated Sh75 million in annual value.

The coffee enterprise, which will cover Blocks A, B and C, is expected to generate more than Sh20 million once fully operational. The horticulture section will supply fresh produce to prisons across Nairobi, reducing reliance on external suppliers.

The initiative brings together the State Department for Irrigation and the Kenya Prisons Service to promote irrigation as a way of increasing food production while reducing reliance on rainfall.

Principal Secretary for Irrigation Ephantus Kimotho Kimani inspected the project Friday as the government pushes for greater use of public land for agricultural production.

“The project demonstrates how government institutions can leverage irrigation to enhance agricultural productivity, promote environmental conservation and contribute to national food and nutrition security,” said Kimani.

More than 300 inmates will receive practical training in climate-resilient farming and agribusiness through the project. The training is expected to give them skills they can use to earn a living after completing their sentences.

The irrigation system includes intake desilting works, two boreholes, two hybrid water pumping units, water storage facilities, an in-field distribution network and sprinkler systems.

The intake desilting works, boreholes, pumping units and water storage facilities are complete while the in-field irrigation distribution network and sprinkler system is 80 per cent complete.

Contractors are installing sprinkler systems in the two remaining blocks and extending the irrigation network to the Greening Kenya section.

The project is expected to benefit more than 10,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries and provide a model for expanding irrigation through partnerships with other government institutions.

Resident Engineer Agnes Agong and Director of Prison Farms Patrick Kariri hosted Kimani during the inspection alongside other government officials.