Roots in the Soil: Dry Rice Farming in Kirinyaga County, Kenya

 Roots in the Soil Dry Rice Farming in Kirinyaga County, Kenya

In the shadow of Mount Kenya’s snow-capped peaks, Kirinyaga County is best known for its lush tea estates and vibrant flower greenhouses. Yet, in the lower reaches of Mwea and the rolling hills of Gichugu, a quieter, tougher crop is making a comeback: dryland rice. Unlike the flooded paddies of the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, dry rice farming relies on rainfall, resilient varieties, and farmer ingenuity. It’s a story of adaptation, revival, and food security in a region where every drop of water counts.

From Flood to Firm Ground

Rice has been grown in Kirinyaga since the 1950s, when the Mwea-Tebere Irrigation Scheme transformed arid plains into East Africa’s largest rice bowl. But not all land is suitable for irrigation. On the county’s rain-fed slopes and marginal soils, upland rice—locally called ng’aragu ya mũkaro (rice of the dry land)—offers a low-cost alternative.

Dry rice farming surged in the 2010s as climate variability made irrigation unreliable. Prolonged droughts in 2017 and 2022 left canals dry, prompting farmers to experiment with New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties—fast-maturing, drought-tolerant hybrids developed by the Africa Rice Center. Today, over 3,500 smallholder farmers in Kirinyaga cultivate dry rice on 2,800 hectares, producing around 9,000 metric tons annually.

The Science of Survival

Dry rice isn’t just about waiting for rain. It’s a system:

Varieties: NERICA 4, NERICA 10, and local landraces like Kaguku mature in 90–110 days and yield 3–4 tons per hectare under good rainfall.

Soil Prep: Farmers use minimum tillage and contour bunds to trap moisture. Incorporating maize stover or bean haulms boosts organic matter in the volcanic red soils.

Water Harvesting: Small zai pits (30 cm deep holes filled with manure) concentrate water and nutrients around each seed.

Intercropping: Rice grows alongside pigeon peas or cowpeas, reducing pest pressure and improving soil nitrogen.

In Kangai village, the Mũkaro Rice Self-Help Group—mostly women—pools labor to plant 12 acres communally. They’ve adopted System of Rice Intensification (SRI) principles adapted for dryland: wider spacing (25x25 cm), one seedling per hill, and early weeding with rotary weeders. Result? Yields jumped from 1.8 to 3.2 tons per hectare.

Challenges in the Field

Dry rice farming is a gamble:

Erratic Rains: The March–May long rains are increasingly unreliable. A late onset can wipe out a season.

Pests and Diseases: Blast fungus and African rice gall midge thrive in humid microclimates. Farmers rely on resistant varieties and neem-based sprays.

Market Access: Unlike irrigated Basmati, dry rice is often sold locally as mchele wa nyumbani (home rice). Prices fluctuate—KES 80–120 per kilo at farm gate.

Seed Scarcity: Certified NERICA seed is expensive (KES 300/kg). Many farmers recycle grain, reducing vigor over generations.

Sustainability on a Shoestring

Kirinyaga’s dry rice farmers are low-tech innovators:

Seed Banks: Community groups store surplus grain in airtight drums with ash layers to preserve viability.

Agroforestry: Planting Sesbania sesban or Calliandra on field borders fixes nitrogen and provides fodder.

Digital Tools: Apps like iCow send SMS alerts on rainfall forecasts and pest outbreaks. In 2024, 1,200 farmers in Ndia subscribed.

The county’s Kirinyaga Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy promotes dry rice as a resilience crop. Extension officers distribute push-pull companion planting kits (Desmodium and Brachiaria grass) to control stem borers without chemicals.

A Day in the Dry Fields

At dawn, Paul Mwangi walks his 1.5-acre plot in Thiba. He plants NERICA 4 in neat rows, using a dibble stick to punch holes every 25 cm. By 10 AM, the sun is fierce; he mulches with dry grass to lock in soil moisture. His wife, Esther, heads to the group’s seed bank to exchange 5 kg of bean seed for rice. Their harvest—about 12 bags (90 kg each)—feeds the family for six months and funds school fees with the surplus.

The Future of Dry Rice

Kirinyaga is positioning dry rice as a climate-resilient staple. Plans include:

Value Addition: Solar dryers and small mills to produce branded Kirinyaga Upland Rice for urban markets.

Youth Involvement: Drone mapping and mechanized planters to reduce labor drudgery.

Policy Support: Subsidized NERICA seed and insurance against drought.

In a county where irrigated rice gets the glory, dry rice is the underdog—grown not in flooded splendor, but in the stubborn grit of rain-fed earth. It’s proof that food security doesn’t always need a river. Sometimes, it just needs farmers who refuse to give up on the land.

Next time you enjoy a bowl of mchele wa nyumbani, remember: it might have grown where no canal flows—only rain, soil, and hope.