A special programme for food security \u27(SPFS) was launched in Kenya in 1995. For the past decade, Kenya\u27s agricultural production has no longer been able to keep pace with its population growth. The country is now faced with chronic deficits in maize, wheat, rice, oilseeds and sugar. In the past, the Government has given priority to the development of large scale, these top down systems, which have proven too excessively costly to construct and beyond the Government\u27s financial capacity to maintain.
The current 7th national development plan gives high priority to commercially oriented smallholder schemes based on farmers\u27 own investment and operation, to generate employment, enhance food security and increase rural incomes. FAO assistance is requested to implement the SPFS, especially through pilot small-scale water control activities.
A waterlogged lowland in the coast of Victoria lake, in Kisumu, was selected as demonstration area of innovative low-cost irrigation and drainage development and water management in waterlogged lowland. Simple water management in flood protection, water control, agricultural practices, reclamation, furrow and ridge land preparation were successfully introduced to the farmers. The project could convince the farmers that the flood could be managed without jeopardizing the environment and using low cost technology
