In a move to bolster food security and climate resilience, Kenya's National Irrigation Authority has signed a 40 billion Kenyan shilling ($310 million) deal with the China Communications Construction Company to construct a major dam.

The flagship project will be developed at Galana Kulalu in the Tana River and Kilifi counties and is designed to irrigate up to 120,000 hectares of land, marking a decisive shift from rain-fed agriculture to large-scale, reliable irrigation as Kenya steps up efforts to safeguard food supplies and build resilience against climate shocks.

Kenya's President William Ruto welcomed the deal, describing the dam as a major milestone in the country's efforts to strengthen food security and reduce reliance on rainfall-dependent farming.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ruto said the project would anchor sustainable agricultural production across the Galana Kulalu food security zone.

"The signing of the 40-billion-shilling contract for the construction of the Galana Kulalu Dam will strengthen our food security by irrigating up to 300,000 acres in Tana River and Kilifi counties," he said.

The contract, signed on Tuesday, covers the engineering, procurement, construction and financing of the Athi Dam, also known as the Galana Dam, together with its irrigation water conveyance system.

Once completed, the dam will have a storage capacity of 305 million cubic metres and is expected to deliver an average of one billion cubic metres of water annually, enabling at least two cropping seasons per year.

Officials say the project is expected to support agro-processing, promote value addition and create thousands of jobs, particularly for young people.

sharon@chinadailyafrica.com