By Pascal Ndegwa - Reporter
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Kenya, October 26, 2026 - Kenya and Portugal are moving their long-standing diplomatic relationship into a more practical space: water, sanitation and irrigation.
During a courtesy call at Maji House in Nairobi, Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Eng. Eric Mugaa met Portugal’s Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Paulo Neves Pocinho, to explore how the two countries can convert goodwill into investments, technical expertise and projects that improve everyday life for Kenyans.
At first glance, the meeting may appear to be another routine diplomatic engagement. But its significance lies in the connection between three issues that shape Kenya’s future: access to clean water, proper sanitation and reliable food production.
Water scarcity affects health, education, agriculture and economic productivity. When communities lack safe water, families spend more time and money securing it, while disease burdens rise.
When farmers cannot irrigate reliably, food prices become vulnerable to drought and erratic rainfall. The Kenya-Portugal discussions therefore treat water not simply as a basic service, but as a foundation for public health, climate resilience and food security.
Kenya is seeking Portuguese investment and expertise, particularly in dams and the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP). The plan is designed to expand irrigated land and create a coordinated framework for financing irrigation projects over the long term.
Kenya has previously indicated that it wants to bring an additional one million acres under irrigation, a goal that would reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture and strengthen production in areas exposed to climate shocks.
The possible use of Public-Private Partnerships is central to the talks. PPPs allow the government to work with private investors to finance, build or operate infrastructure while sharing risks and responsibilities.
For Kenya, this could mean attracting capital and technical skills for dams, water abstraction systems, canals and other irrigation infrastructure without relying entirely on the national budget.
For Portuguese investors, it opens opportunities in a sector where demand for modern water infrastructure continues to grow. Kenya’s PPP framework already identifies water and sanitation among priority sectors for private participation.
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The emphasis on dams is also important. Dams do more than store water; they regulate supply during dry seasons, support irrigation schemes, reduce flood risks and can provide water for domestic and industrial use. However, their value depends on careful planning, efficient distribution and maintenance.
This is where Portugal’s experience in sustainable water infrastructure and irrigation systems becomes relevant. Earlier engagements between Kenyan officials and Ambassador Pocinho focused on technical support, knowledge exchange and investment partnerships in areas such as canal lining, drainage and water conveyance systems, all of which help reduce losses and improve efficiency.
For ordinary Kenyans, the outcome of such cooperation would be measured in practical terms: more households accessing clean and safe water, better sanitation facilities, and farmers able to plant and harvest with greater certainty.
Improved irrigation can also support agribusiness, create jobs and increase the supply of food to local markets. In arid and semi-arid regions, where climate change has made rainfall increasingly unreliable, these interventions could determine whether communities merely cope with drought or build lasting resilience.
Mugaa reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to deepening the partnership, signalling that Nairobi views Portugal as a potential partner in one of its most consequential development areas.
He was accompanied by Water Secretary Eng. S.A.O. Alima, Irrigation Secretary for Land Reclamation, Climate Resilience and Irrigation Water Management Joel Tanui, and Head of Partnership and Resource Mobilisation Florence Ndai, among other officials. Their presence reflects the technical and financial planning required to turn diplomatic conversations into bankable projects.
The meeting ultimately points to a broader idea, development partnerships work best when they address the systems that connect people’s daily needs. Clean water supports health; sanitation protects dignity and prevents disease; irrigation secures food production.
By linking these sectors, Kenya and Portugal are not just discussing bilateral relations. They are exploring how foreign cooperation can help build infrastructure that makes communities healthier, farms more productive and the country better prepared for a changing climate.