KIIWP Expands Irrigation and Terracing to Strengthen Food Security in Eastern Rwanda
The project is being implemented in two phases. Phase I, launched in late 2020 and concluded in 2024, prioritized urgent interventions, including feasibility studies for irrigation schemes and the establishment of foundational infrastructure. Phase II, which began in 2022 and is expected to run until 2031, focuses on scaling up sustainable irrigation systems and expanding terracing to enhance climate resilience.
Under Phase II, terrace construction remains a central activity. The project targets the development of 3,850 hectares, which will be added to the 1,300 hectares completed during Phase I. In Ndego Sector, where intense heat once scorched crops and heavy rains eroded topsoil and destroyed homes, the terraces have significantly stabilized farmland and improved productivity.
Farmers in the area report measurable progress. Sandrine Munganyinka says the terraces have transformed agricultural outcomes. According to her, the structures help retain rainwater, increase yields, provide fodder for livestock, and reduce child malnutrition linked to poor harvests.
Vincent Nsabimana, who heads a local farmers’ cooperative, highlights dramatic improvements in maize production. He notes that yields have risen from less than 50 kilograms per hectare to two tons, with the potential to reach 10 tons through improved agronomic practices.
Despite these gains, erratic rainfall continues to threaten sustainability. Christine Mukagasana explains that crops often establish well at the start of the season but fail during prolonged dry spells without reliable irrigation.
Farmers are therefore pinning their hopes on the full rollout of irrigation canals and systems that would cover all terraced and potential farmland, enabling year-round cultivation independent of rainfall patterns.
Protais Musanganya, head of Top Quality Seed Production, supplies certified maize, beans, soybean, cassava, and pineapple seeds to farmers under KIIWP-2. However, he too feels the ripple effects of delayed irrigation infrastructure. While he can irrigate his own fields, many of his clients cannot. When farmers invest in quality seeds but lose crops due to water shortages, their purchasing confidence declines in subsequent seasons.
Project officials maintain that irrigation expansion is central to achieving long-term resilience. Dan Mandela, a value chain specialist with the initiative, says KIIWP-2 is designed to boost agricultural productivity, strengthen climate resilience, and improve rural livelihoods through sustainable irrigation, watershed management, and climate-smart agricultural practices.
Overall, the project targets 40,000 households approximately 180,000 people with the aim of increasing food security and household incomes. Plans include irrigating about 5,085 hectares using water drawn from Lakes Kibare, Nasho, and Ihema in Ndego Sector.
Construction is ongoing on two dams: a 12-meter-high dam that will serve 150 hectares, including both marshland and hillside farms, and a 5-meter-high dam designed to irrigate 125 hectares in Gishanda. In areas where water resources are already accessible, farmers will receive subsidized irrigation equipment through a matching grant scheme.
As Rwanda intensifies efforts to adapt to climate variability, KIIWP stands as a critical intervention linking infrastructure, productivity, and rural transformation.
