Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya

Nickson Kenyoru Marita; Emmanuel Chessum Kipkorir; Joel Kibiiy

doi:doi:10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11

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Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya

Nickson Kenyoru Marita^*

, Emmanuel Chessum Kipkorir, Joel Kibiiy

Published in World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology (Volume 4, Issue 1)

Received: 1 December 2025 Accepted: 22 December 2025 Published: 16 January 2026

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Abstract

Irrigation plays a vital role in enhancing crop production yet many public irrigation schemes continue to face persistent financial challenges that undermine their long-term performance. Sustainable operation of irrigation and drainage systems rely on effective cost recovery mechanisms that ensure sufficient revenue is generated to meet the full cost of managing, operating, and maintaining irrigation and drainage infrastructure. It is important for the scheme’s managers to understand how to make these systems sustainable by implementing effective cost recovery measures. This study evaluated the financial viability of irrigation and drainage projects through cost recovery using the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya as a case study. The research applied the cost recovery ratio to assess the extent to which the scheme was able to recover the irrigation and drainage expenses. The ratio was determined by dividing the annual operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers by the annual irrigation and drainage costs incurred in service delivery. The calculated cost recovery ratio of 0.22 showed that the operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers covered only 22% of the irrigation and drainage costs. The low cost recovery was mainly attributed to undercharged operation and maintenance revenue which was inadequate to cover the high irrigation and drainage cost. The energy cost emerged as the largest cost component in irrigation and drainage. The study highlighted the need to review and adjust operation and maintenance charges while also integrating solar energy systems to supplement or replace the costly electrical energy to reduce the energy cost.

Published in	World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology (Volume 4, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11
Page(s)	1-9
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cost Recovery in Irrigation, Operation and Maintenance Revenue, Operation and Maintenance Costs, Irrigation Water Charges, Irrigation Water Pricing, Irrigation and Drainage Costs, Financial Viability of Irrigation Schemes, Energy Cost in Irrigation

References

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APA Style

Marita, N. K., Kipkorir, E. C., Kibiiy, J. (2026). Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya. World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 4(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11

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ACS Style

Marita, N. K.; Kipkorir, E. C.; Kibiiy, J. Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya. World J. Agric. Sci. Technol. 2026, 4(1), 1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11

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AMA Style

Marita NK, Kipkorir EC, Kibiiy J. Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya. World J Agric Sci Technol. 2026;4(1):1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11

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@article{10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11,
  author = {Nickson Kenyoru Marita and Emmanuel Chessum Kipkorir and Joel Kibiiy},
  title = {Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya},
  journal = {World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology},
  volume = {4},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-9},
  doi = {10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.wjast.20260401.11},
  abstract = {Irrigation plays a vital role in enhancing crop production yet many public irrigation schemes continue to face persistent financial challenges that undermine their long-term performance. Sustainable operation of irrigation and drainage systems rely on effective cost recovery mechanisms that ensure sufficient revenue is generated to meet the full cost of managing, operating, and maintaining irrigation and drainage infrastructure. It is important for the scheme’s managers to understand how to make these systems sustainable by implementing effective cost recovery measures. This study evaluated the financial viability of irrigation and drainage projects through cost recovery using the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya as a case study. The research applied the cost recovery ratio to assess the extent to which the scheme was able to recover the irrigation and drainage expenses. The ratio was determined by dividing the annual operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers by the annual irrigation and drainage costs incurred in service delivery. The calculated cost recovery ratio of 0.22 showed that the operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers covered only 22% of the irrigation and drainage costs. The low cost recovery was mainly attributed to undercharged operation and maintenance revenue which was inadequate to cover the high irrigation and drainage cost. The energy cost emerged as the largest cost component in irrigation and drainage. The study highlighted the need to review and adjust operation and maintenance charges while also integrating solar energy systems to supplement or replace the costly electrical energy to reduce the energy cost.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya
AU  - Nickson Kenyoru Marita
AU  - Emmanuel Chessum Kipkorir
AU  - Joel Kibiiy
Y1  - 2026/01/16
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11
T2  - World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
JF  - World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
JO  - World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
SP  - 1
EP  - 9
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2994-7332
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11
AB  - Irrigation plays a vital role in enhancing crop production yet many public irrigation schemes continue to face persistent financial challenges that undermine their long-term performance. Sustainable operation of irrigation and drainage systems rely on effective cost recovery mechanisms that ensure sufficient revenue is generated to meet the full cost of managing, operating, and maintaining irrigation and drainage infrastructure. It is important for the scheme’s managers to understand how to make these systems sustainable by implementing effective cost recovery measures. This study evaluated the financial viability of irrigation and drainage projects through cost recovery using the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya as a case study. The research applied the cost recovery ratio to assess the extent to which the scheme was able to recover the irrigation and drainage expenses. The ratio was determined by dividing the annual operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers by the annual irrigation and drainage costs incurred in service delivery. The calculated cost recovery ratio of 0.22 showed that the operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers covered only 22% of the irrigation and drainage costs. The low cost recovery was mainly attributed to undercharged operation and maintenance revenue which was inadequate to cover the high irrigation and drainage cost. The energy cost emerged as the largest cost component in irrigation and drainage. The study highlighted the need to review and adjust operation and maintenance charges while also integrating solar energy systems to supplement or replace the costly electrical energy to reduce the energy cost.
VL  - 4
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Nickson Kenyoru Marita

Civil and Structural Engineering Department, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya

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http://orcid.org/0009-0006-2306-5458
Emmanuel Chessum Kipkorir

Civil and Structural Engineering Department, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya

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Joel Kibiiy

Civil and Structural Engineering Department, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya

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APA Style

Marita, N. K., Kipkorir, E. C., Kibiiy, J. (2026). Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya. World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 4(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11

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ACS Style

Marita, N. K.; Kipkorir, E. C.; Kibiiy, J. Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya. World J. Agric. Sci. Technol. 2026, 4(1), 1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11

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AMA Style

Marita NK, Kipkorir EC, Kibiiy J. Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya. World J Agric Sci Technol. 2026;4(1):1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11,
  author = {Nickson Kenyoru Marita and Emmanuel Chessum Kipkorir and Joel Kibiiy},
  title = {Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya},
  journal = {World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology},
  volume = {4},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-9},
  doi = {10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.wjast.20260401.11},
  abstract = {Irrigation plays a vital role in enhancing crop production yet many public irrigation schemes continue to face persistent financial challenges that undermine their long-term performance. Sustainable operation of irrigation and drainage systems rely on effective cost recovery mechanisms that ensure sufficient revenue is generated to meet the full cost of managing, operating, and maintaining irrigation and drainage infrastructure. It is important for the scheme’s managers to understand how to make these systems sustainable by implementing effective cost recovery measures. This study evaluated the financial viability of irrigation and drainage projects through cost recovery using the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya as a case study. The research applied the cost recovery ratio to assess the extent to which the scheme was able to recover the irrigation and drainage expenses. The ratio was determined by dividing the annual operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers by the annual irrigation and drainage costs incurred in service delivery. The calculated cost recovery ratio of 0.22 showed that the operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers covered only 22% of the irrigation and drainage costs. The low cost recovery was mainly attributed to undercharged operation and maintenance revenue which was inadequate to cover the high irrigation and drainage cost. The energy cost emerged as the largest cost component in irrigation and drainage. The study highlighted the need to review and adjust operation and maintenance charges while also integrating solar energy systems to supplement or replace the costly electrical energy to reduce the energy cost.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Evaluating the Financial Viability of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Through Cost Recovery: A Case Study of Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya
AU  - Nickson Kenyoru Marita
AU  - Emmanuel Chessum Kipkorir
AU  - Joel Kibiiy
Y1  - 2026/01/16
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11
T2  - World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
JF  - World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
JO  - World Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
SP  - 1
EP  - 9
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2994-7332
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wjast.20260401.11
AB  - Irrigation plays a vital role in enhancing crop production yet many public irrigation schemes continue to face persistent financial challenges that undermine their long-term performance. Sustainable operation of irrigation and drainage systems rely on effective cost recovery mechanisms that ensure sufficient revenue is generated to meet the full cost of managing, operating, and maintaining irrigation and drainage infrastructure. It is important for the scheme’s managers to understand how to make these systems sustainable by implementing effective cost recovery measures. This study evaluated the financial viability of irrigation and drainage projects through cost recovery using the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya as a case study. The research applied the cost recovery ratio to assess the extent to which the scheme was able to recover the irrigation and drainage expenses. The ratio was determined by dividing the annual operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers by the annual irrigation and drainage costs incurred in service delivery. The calculated cost recovery ratio of 0.22 showed that the operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers covered only 22% of the irrigation and drainage costs. The low cost recovery was mainly attributed to undercharged operation and maintenance revenue which was inadequate to cover the high irrigation and drainage cost. The energy cost emerged as the largest cost component in irrigation and drainage. The study highlighted the need to review and adjust operation and maintenance charges while also integrating solar energy systems to supplement or replace the costly electrical energy to reduce the energy cost.
VL  - 4
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download