formulate policies, make legislative proposals to Parliament, provide sector regulation, coordination and guidance, and monitoring and evaluation;

develop general principles, guidelines and standards for promoting development and for the coordination of irrigation planning;

establish, through a gazette notice, national, public or strategic schemes of any category as defined in this Act;

promote the use of efficient irrigation systems across the country;

subject to resource constraints, ensure availability and adequacy of water for irrigation;

receive and determine applications for any irrigation projects, including issuance of irrigation licences for irrigation schemes;

monitor and enforce conditions attached to licenses for all irrigation schemes;

report to both Houses of Parliament annually, and from time to time as may be necessary, on the state of, and needs for, irrigation development management and regulation in the country;

in collaboration with county governments, gather information and maintain data bases on irrigation development management and regulation including data on irrigation water supplies, demands, projects, irrigated areas, management performance, potential for expansion and human resources;

conduct periodic technical and management audits of irrigation schemes infrastructure, governance, management and financing;

maintain storage investments for their proper use implementation; and

carry out other mandate as may be specified in this Act or any other written law.

other ministries and agencies of the National Government;

the Council of County Governors;

county governments; and

non-government entities.

suing and being sued;

taking, purchasing or otherwise acquiring, holding, charging or disposing of movable and immovable property;

borrowing or lending money;

entering into contracts; and

doing such other acts necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Authority.

develop and improve irrigation infrastructure for national or public schemes;

provide irrigation support services to private medium and smallholder schemes, in consultation and cooperation with county governments and other stakeholders;

provide technical advisory services to irrigation schemes in design, construction supervision, administration, operation and maintenance under appropriate modalities, including agency contracts, as may be elaborated in regulations to this Act.

undertake irrigation development, including infrastructure, in national or public and smallholder schemes, including schemes which traverse or straddle more than one county;

in consultation with county governments, facilitate formation and strengthening of irrigation water users' associations at scheme level for operation, maintenance and management;

in consultation with the county governments and other stakeholders facilitate formation and strengthening of scheme management committees at scheme level for management of the schemes;

in consultation with the county governments and other stakeholders facilitate formation and strengthening of dispute resolution committees at scheme level for the resolution of disputes relating to scheme management;

in consultation with the Cabinet Secretary, the Cabinet Secretary for the time being responsible for finance, and the county governments raise funds for the development of infrastructure in national, public and smallholder schemes under appropriate mechanisms, including under agency contracts;

in consultation with the Cabinet Secretary and county governments, co-ordinate and plan settlement on national or public irrigation schemes, as well as schemes which traverse or straddle more than one county and determine the number of settlers thereof;

provide technical advisory services on a commercial basis, on irrigation water management, including water harvesting and storage, and waste water recycling for agricultural use to all schemes under appropriate modalities, including agency contracts;

in collaboration with county governments, the private sector, civil society organizations and other stakeholders, provide technical advisory services to community and smallholder irrigation schemes concerning design, construction supervision, administration and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure under appropriate modalities, including agency contracts;

facilitate linkages between and among the National Government and county governments, private sector, civil society organizations, communities and other stakeholders for the provision of support services to irrigation water user associations;

provide, manage, and administer land in national or public irrigation schemes as well as inter-county schemes for public use;

in collaboration with county governments and other stakeholders, promote the marketing, safe storage and processing of crops, animal and fish products grown or produced on national and other irrigation schemes and to liaise in this regard with other responsible state agencies and organizations;

in collaboration with county government and other stakeholders and government agencies carry out periodic researches to determine and make recommendation on fair prices for crops, animals and fish products grown or produced on national and other irrigation schemes;

prepare and submit to the Cabinet Secretary, through the Principal Secretary, annual and other periodic reports concerning the performance of its mandate and functions; and

advise the Cabinet Secretary, through the Principal Secretary, on any matter in connection with the development, maintenance, expansion and availability of irrigation support services.

a chairperson, who shall be appointed by the President subject to subsection (4);

the Principal Secretary responsible for Irrigation or his representative;

the Principal Secretary responsible for finance or his representative;

the principal secretary responsible for Agriculture or his representative;

the Principal Secretary for the time being responsible for water or his representative;

two persons of opposite gender and from different regions, with knowledge and experience in matters relating to water, agriculture, irrigation or environmental studies, appointed by the Cabinet Secretary from a list of four nominees submitted by the Council of County Governors;

one person with knowledge and experience in matters relating to civil engineering, economics, finance or rural development, appointed by the Cabinet Secretary from a list of three nominees submitted by a registered private sector membership organisation with a national outlook; and

one person appointed by the Cabinet Secretary out of three persons nominated by the National Irrigation Farmers Associations;

reflect gender and regional balance in accordance with the Constitution; and

be reflective of an appropriate professional, disciplinary and stakeholder mix.

is a citizen of Kenya;

meets the requirements of leadership and integrity set out in Chapter 6 of the Constitution; and

holds relevant academic and professional qualification including a university degree in water engineering, civil engineering, agriculture, irrigation or environmental studies.

secure continuing improvement of performance, protect the long term viability, and ensure fiscal discipline of the Authority;

administer the assets of the Authority in such manner as best promotes the purposes for which the Authority is established;

ensure protection of the assets and developments of the Authority;

determine the provisions to be made for capital and recurrent expenditure and for the reserves of the Authority;

receive any grants, gifts, donations or endowment and make legitimate disbursements therefrom;

invest any funds of the Authority not immediately required for its purposes;

undertake any other activity necessary for the fulfilment of any of the functions of the Authority.

is a citizen of Kenya;

meets the requirements of leadership and integrity set out in Chapter 6 of the Constitution;

holds relevant academic and professional qualifications including a university degree in engineering or agriculture or any field related to irrigation; and

has at least fifteen years' experience in the management of a public or private institution, five of which should be at senior management level, or is a distinguished scholar in a discipline relevant to irrigation.

formulate and implement county irrigation strategy in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, in line with national policies and strategies;

develop and maintain an irrigation database and integrate systematic monitoring and evaluation;

identify community-based smallholder schemes for implementation in line with national guidelines;

mainstream irrigation related statutory obligations such as those that relate to the environment, water and health;

provide capacity building for farmers and support establishment of viable farmer organizations, and in particular irrigation water users associations to develop and manage irrigation schemes including actively participating in conflicts resolution within irrigation schemes;

set up measures to implement adaptation and mitigation to climate change, and enhance sustainable environmental management.

in consultation with the Water Resources Authority, put in place appropriate water use fees structures and make arrangements with the Water Resources Authority in respect of requisition of irrigation water in bulk;

seek advice of the Water Resources Authority on the development of new irrigation water sources, including water harvesting, flood control and storage for irrigation;

approve appropriate arrangements on inter-catchment transfers of irrigation water in consultation with county governments and Water Resources Authority;

develop a mechanism on return on investment formula resulting from construction of irrigation schemes using public funds; and

develop guidelines on private sector involvement at various stages of the irrigation project implementation cycle.

in accordance with Integrated Water Resources Management Principles;

in accordance with agreements between irrigation water users and other stakeholders; and

in such a manner as to reduce conflicts on water resources, protect the environment and public health and share water appropriately and equitably for multiple uses.

the payment of salaries, allowances and other charges in respect of the staff of the Authority and the Board of the Authority as the case may be;

the payment of pensions, gratuities and other charges in respect of retirement benefits which are payable out of the funds of the Authority;

the acquisition, maintenance, repair and replacement of the equipment and other movable property of the Authority;

the creation of such reserve funds to meet future or contingent liabilities in respect of retirement benefits, insurance and the replacement of buildings or equipment, or in respect of such other matters as the Board may deem fit;

estimated expenditure for development of infrastructure for the development of irrigation; and

estimated expenditure for the provision of irrigation services and advisory support.

the management of national, public and other irrigation schemes;

the standards of good on-farm water management;

the regulation of, and tariffs payable for, the use of water on national, public and other irrigation schemes;

the control of persons occupying any land comprising or forming part of a national irrigation scheme, the introduction of or the control of settlers on such land, the issue by the Authority as the case may be, of licenses or permits or leases to such persons or settlers, the revocation of such licenses and leases, and the terms and conditions which may be attached to such licenses and leases;

the requirements, procedures and forms for licensing of irrigation schemes;

the establishment, operations and governance of irrigation water users' associations, scheme management committees and dispute resolution committees;

prescribe fees payable by irrigation water users based on costs of operation and maintenance of the scheme;

monitoring and evaluation and audits required under the Act;

adherence to environmental and public health matters;

development of irrigation including infrastructure, frameworks, complementary installations, water harvesting, storage, distribution and licensing; and

multi-government agencies consultation collaboration, cooperation and accountability in the implementation of this Act.

require acts to be performed to the satisfaction of a prescribed authority, may prohibit their performance without the prior approval of a specified authority, and may empower a specified authority to impose conditions for the performance of specific acts;

be made to apply generally to all irrigation schemes or to any specified irrigation or to any specified area or areas thereof;

provide for such penalty for the breach of any provision thereof, not exceeding a fine of fifty thousand shillings and or imprisonment for one year, as the Cabinet Secretary may regulate from time to time.

all the funds, assets and other property, both movable and immovable which were vested in the National Irrigation Board shall, by virtue of this paragraph, vest in the Authority;

all rights, powers and liabilities which were vested in, imposed on or enforceable against the National Irrigation Board shall, by virtue of this paragraph, be vested in, imposed on or enforceable against the Authority;

any reference in any written law or in any document or instrument to the National Irrigation Board shall be construed to be a reference to the Authority;

the annual estimates of the National Irrigation Board for the current financial year shall be deemed to be the annual estimates of the Authority for the remainder of that financial year:

the administrative directions made by the National Irrigation Board or by the Cabinet Secretary which were in force before the commencement of this Act shall have force as if they were directions made by the Authority or the Cabinet Secretary under this Act;

any person who, immediately before the commencement of this Act, was an officer, agent, or member of staff appointed, seconded or deployed or otherwise employed by the National Irrigation Board shall become an employee or otherwise seconded or deployed to the Authority on similar terms and conditions of service or as may be provided by the law.