Abstract:
Food security is the major outcome of irrigation development activities. However, this cannot be achieved
without sustainable water resources management. With the increasing budgetary constraints in many developing
countries, governments have recognized the need to delegate irrigation scheme management to Irrigation Water
Users’ Associations (IWUA’s) as much as possible. Despite the majority of these associations being operational,
the major challenge has been poor performance due to inadequate farmer participation. This study examines the
factors which influence farmers’ willingness to pay for irrigation water in a smallholder irrigation scheme in
Kerio Valley Basin, Kenya. Using a multi-stage sampling method, a representative sample of 216 smallholder
farmers from the Basin were interviewed. Results show that education level, access to training on irrigation,
participation in construction of the irrigation system, crop income from irrigation and membership in IWUA
significantly and positively influence farmers’ decisions to pay for irrigation water. Distance to the water source
reduces the willingness to pay for irrigation water. Differential pricing based on income levels of farmers, rather
than uniform pricing is recommended. We further recommend formulation of policies to train farmers in water
management and to support farmer participation in IWUA’s.
