Twiga Foods intends to expand the irrigated acreage at the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project (GKFSP) by up to 20,000 acres to produce two million bags annually.

Initially, 10,000 acres will be developed, followed by a similar size after the construction of the Galana Dam.

Twiga Foods Co-founder and Group CEO Peter Njonjo said the area’s productivity informs the expansion due to the established irrigation infrastructure.

“Unlike other parts of the country the maize crop takes 105 days here it means with irrigation you can do three crops a year including a rotational crop and when you take into consideration the high maize yield, we anticipate we can do as much as 2 million bags per year,” said Njonjo.

The Galana Dam is being built by a presidential directive.

The authority has also been presented with a proposal to develop an additional 350,000 acres, which is now under examination.

To assure optimal crop growth, Twiga Foods has already developed a maize crop trial on 538 acres in collaboration with the National Irrigation Authority. This experiment uses a variety of trial treatments.

The organisation extensively studies soil characteristics, irrigation systems, and crop water requirements to prepare for the upcoming development phase.

The expansion was unveiled at a tour of the expansive project. Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome said there are plans to diversify the project’s potential.

“We have bigger plans where we will do an agripark, ranching, and electricity generation.”

This initiative seeks to enhance national food security, foster job creation, and propel socio-economic development in Kenya.

GKFSP spans over 1.75 million acres, encompassing the Galana and Kulalu ranches.

The project is designed to optimise productivity through targeted crop and livestock production investments and sustainable management of natural resources.