After four years full of challenges and hard work, it's time to move on.
I leave with the feeling that the mission is complete. 4 seasons, 3 championships.
I will never forget the love I received from the fans from my very first days.
Catalonia is my place on earth.
Thank you to everyone I met along the way during these beautiful four years.
A special thank you to President Laporta for giving me the chance to live the most incredible chapter of my career.
Barça is back where it belongs.
Visca el Barça. Visca Catalunya 💙❤️
@fcbarcelona
𝑷𝑺 𝑲𝑰𝑴𝑶𝑻𝑯𝑶 𝑯𝑶𝑺𝑻𝑺 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑳𝑫 𝑩𝑨𝑵𝑲 𝑻𝑬𝑨𝑴 𝑻𝑶 𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑬𝑵𝑮𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑵 𝑰𝑹𝑹𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑵𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑷 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑭𝑶𝑶𝑫 𝑺𝑬𝑪𝑼𝑹𝑰𝑻𝒀 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑪𝑳𝑰𝑴𝑨𝑻𝑬 𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑰𝑳𝑰𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬
Principal Secretary for Irrigation @EphantusKim , today chaired a high-level meeting with a @WorldBankKenya delegation led by MS Anna Wellenstein, the Regional Practice Director for Water Department, during a courtesy call held at Maji House, Nairobi.
The meeting extensively explored the progress of ongoing collaborations between the World Bank and the State Department for Irrigation, , which aims to enhance irrigation development, food security, water management and climate change resilience in Kenya.
Discussions focused on advancing priority operations under the Kenya Sustainable Irrigation for Resilient Economy (K-RISE), which comprises four key components namely; Farmer-Led Irrigation Development (FLID) Programme, High Performance Public and Community Irrigation Schemes, Water Security and Climate Resilient Landscapes, and Sector Coordination. The programme seeks to improve agricultural productivity, increase household incomes and strengthen community resilience through sustainable irrigation investments.
Speaking during the meeting, PS @EphantusKim noted that irrigation remains a key pillar in the Government’s agenda on food security, poverty alleviation, job creation and socio-economic transformation.
“The FLID programme is directly linked to poverty alleviation, employment creation and improving the livelihoods of farmers across the country. We anticipate a high uptake of the programme because it addresses the real needs of farmers while promoting climate smart agriculture and sustainable food production,” said the PS.
He further emphasized the importance of coordinated implementation among stakeholders, noting that partnerships between the National Government, County Governments, development partners and the private sector are critical in ensuring successful delivery of irrigation programmes.
“We must avoid working in silos. Coordination among sectors and partners will ensure that programmes are aligned to support farmers realize increased production, value addition and market access,” he added.
PS @EphantusKim also highlighted the important role played by County Irrigation Development Units and agricultural extension officers in supporting farmers at the grassroots level, noting that the Government is exploring ways of strengthening and facilitating the units to improve service delivery.
Ms. Wellenstein commended the strong partnership between the @WorldBankKenya and the State Department for Irrigation while reaffirming the Bank’s commitment towards supporting Kenya’s irrigation expansion agenda.
She particularly highlighted the significance of investments under Component Three on Water Security, noting that improved irrigation infrastructure and data-driven systems will enhance efficiency, accountability and sustainability of irrigation schemes.
“We are encouraged by the Government’s clear vision and ambition in the irrigation sector. The alignment between Kenya’s food security agenda and the World Bank’s priorities on economic and social development presents a strong foundation for impactful investments,” said Ms. Wellenstein.
She further noted that the programme’s results based financing model and establishment of farmer databases will be instrumental in tracking the performance of irrigation schemes and ensuring that investments directly benefit farmers.
The meeting also underscored the need for an integrated approach that brings together government institutions, counties, development partners and private sector players towards achieving a common goal of enhancing food security and improving livelihoods through irrigation.
Also present during the meeting were senior officials from the State Department for Irrigation and the @WorldBankKenya.
Today, I had the opportunity to officially open the Earth Observation for Irrigation Mapping in Kenya workshop in Nairobi under the Irrigation Earth Observation (IrrEO) Project.
The three-day workshop brings together key stakeholders from the State Department for Irrigation, State Department for Agriculture, National Irrigation Authority, County Government irrigation departments and CECs, alongside partners including RCMRD, the University of Manchester, and development partners.
The initiative focuses on co-designing Earth Observation (EO)-based irrigation mapping tools tailored to Kenya’s needs, while strengthening data-driven decision-making, resource planning, and sustainable irrigation development.
As a Ministry, we have made notable progress in mapping water resources and irrigation schemes across the country. Leveraging RCMRD technology will further enhance our ability to plan effectively, optimize investments, and achieve our target of expanding irrigation to 1.7 million acres.
This effort is central to advancing food security, addressing the rice deficit, and ensuring that data and technology translate into real impact for farmers on the ground.
𝑷𝑺 𝑲𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒐 𝑲𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝑶𝒇𝒇 𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝑶𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑰𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑 𝒊𝒏 𝑵𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒊
This morning, the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Irrigation, @EphantusKim, officially opened the Earth Observation for Irrigation Mapping in Kenya workshop in Nairobi.
The three day workshop (May 5–7, 2026), held under the IrrEO Project, brings together key stakeholders from the State Department for Irrigation, State Department for Agriculture, National Irrigation Authority, County Government irrigation departments and CECs, among other partners. It is being implemented by the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) in collaboration with the University of Manchester. The initiative aims to co-design Earth Observation (EO) based irrigation mapping tools tailored to Kenya’s needs, while identifying critical data requirements to support investment planning and policy decisions.
In his remarks, the PS emphasized the importance of leveraging EO technologies to strengthen evidence based decision making, improve resource planning, and enhance sustainable irrigation and food security. He noted that the initiative will also assess opportunities and barriers to EO adoption while fostering collaboration across national and county institutions.
Highlighting sector progress, PS Kimotho revealed that the Ministry has already mapped 50 large dams, 200 medium dams, and over 2,000 small dams. Additionally, 271 irrigation schemes across six counties have been mapped, with ongoing efforts to cover remaining areas. This data-driven approach will support equitable resource utilization and informed investment decisions.
The PS reaffirmed the government’s target to expand irrigation from 762,000 acres to 1.7 million acres, with an additional one million acres under irrigation. Flagship initiatives such as the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) will play a central role in achieving this goal, particularly in addressing the rice deficit and enhancing national food security.
He also highlighted efforts to unlock the full potential of large scale projects such as the Galana Irrigation Scheme, expected to achieve its 200,000 acre capacity through improved water infrastructure.
The workshop includes regional participation from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, with a focus on ensuring EO technologies translate into practical benefits for farmers. Development partners, including the Gates Foundation, are also exploring innovative, results based financing models to accelerate irrigation development.
The PS underscored the need for a multi sectoral, collaborative approach, noting that EO technologies enhance real time data capture and deepen understanding of on the ground conditions ultimately enabling smarter, more impactful irrigation investments.
For those wondering if we can trust this new 1:59:30 marathon world record by Sabastian Sawe since there have been so many Kenyan runners caught doping and using performance-enhancing drugs in recent years...it’s always hard to have 100% certainty, but credit to Sabastian Sawe, his agency and his sponsor (adidas) for doing their best to be transparent.
Some context for folks: Adidas included a budget in Sawe's contract to provide funds to the sport’s anti-doping organization (the Athletics Integrity Unit) of about $50,000 to test him. Basically, they wanted to prove he was clean, as there was growing confidence that he would break the marathon world record of 2:00:35 set in 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum. They also wanted to avoid the doubt of Ruth Chepngetich breaking the women’s marathon world record in 2:09:56…and then having that skepticism validated when she tested positive for a banned substance.
Sawe was reportedly drug-tested 25 times (this included blood and urine) in the space of two months in the lead-up to last fall's Berlin Marathon and that’s a pretty high number. He was not tested as frequently before this race but his coach Claudio Berardelli confirmed that the Athletics Integrity Unit sets the testing regimen and that he is on a higher frequency of testing than other athletes in 2026 because of the additional funding being provided.
Couldn't catch him! 🔥 Congratulations to Sabastian Sawe on his fastest marathon (male) at 1:59:30. He also beats Eliud Kipchoge’s fastest marathon distance #londonmarathon@LondonMarathon
🇺🇸 American sprint star Gabby Thomas has touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) ahead of her highly anticipated debut at the 7th edition of the Absa Kip Keino Classic!
Welcome to Kenya, Gabby!
Today i announce my retirement from football, Four different countries six different clubs, A boy from Muthurwa with a big dream, carrying a Nations pride everytime i stepped onto the pitch. To my family, friends, agent, the fans and the coaching staff that helped me throughout
Congratulations to Green Climate Fund on the selection of host countries under #GCFB44
I am particularly proud that Nairobi has been chosen to host the Africa Regional Office covering East and Southern Africa, under the leadership of National Treasury of Kenya.
This is a major vote of confidence in Kenya’s role as a regional hub for climate finance, innovation, and sustainable development.
As Africa continues to bear the brunt of climate change, this presence in Nairobi strengthens our ability to:
• Mobilize climate financing
• Support locally driven solutions
• Accelerate resilience and green growth across the region
We must now ensure that these opportunities translate into real impact for communities on the ground.
#ClimateAction
#KenyaRising
#AfricaSolutions
Kenya has secured the bid to host the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, a major milestone announced during the 44th GCF Board Meeting.
This regional hub will expand access to climate finance, strengthen partnerships across the continent and enhance the delivery of climate programmes, further positioning Kenya at the forefront of global climate action.
This achievement reflects deliberate and sustained efforts to establish Nairobi as a leading hub for climate, development and international cooperation in the region and across the Global South.