Kirinyaga County

Kirinyaga exists because Mount Kenya exists—literally named after it, the Kikuyu phrase "Kirinyaga" refers to the snow-capped peak visible from every corner of this small county. The volcanic soils and reliable rainfall from the mountain's eastern slopes create perfect conditions for irrigation agriculture, enabling year-round production impossible in rain-fed regions.

The colonial era brought the Mwea Irrigation Settlement Scheme, started in 1954 with just 65 acres and now sprawling across 30,600 acres. This government-engineered transformation of dry lowlands into rice paddies created Kenya's rice bowl—Mwea produces 80% of Kenya's domestic rice, some 210,000 tonnes annually, up from 90,000 tonnes before the Thiba Dam's 2022 completion enabled triple-season cultivation.

Today Kirinyaga operates as an agricultural anomaly: while most Kenyan farming depends on unpredictable rainfall, Mwea's irrigation infrastructure guarantees water year-round. Over 14,000 rice farmers work land that runs on an engineered 24-hour economy—milling machines in Mwea, Sagana, Kerugoya, and Kagio hum constantly during harvest. The county generates KSh 15 billion annually from rice alone.

Yet 2025 revealed the system's fragility. Duty-free rice imports flooded markets just as harvest began, undercutting local farmers. Governor Anne Waiguru demanded import protection, while Deputy President Kindiki promised government purchases would prioritize domestic production. The county exhibits classic irrigation economy dynamics: high productivity but high vulnerability to both water infrastructure and trade policy. By 2026, whether tariff protection holds will determine if Kirinyaga's rice renaissance continues or import competition devastates the sector.