Local experiences in Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT): The Case of West Kano Scheme in Kenya

The paradigm of the public management of irrigation infrastructure and services has failed in developing countries. Currently, there is a general tendency to transfer the management of such infrastructure and services to local farmer organizations (also known as water user associations) in an exercise technically known as irrigation management transfer (IMT). As these transfers take place in different parts of the developing world, it becomes imperative to look at how the new management model is being implemented on the ground and compare the different experiences. This paper contributes the experience of the West Kano Irrigation Scheme in Kenya where the implementation of IMT is found to have buoyed up the morale of farmers. But in terms of performance, the model is not working perfectly owing to the lack of a clear policy framework, high water costs and environmental challenges. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.