The Micro-scale Irrigation Program supports farmers to purchase and use individual irrigation equipment. The Program supports farmers in purchasing the irrigation equipment through a matching grant scheme, in which the cost of the equipment is co-financed by the farmer and the government. The Program caps the support to 2.5 acres (1 hectare), thus it is expected to benefit mainly smallholder farmers interested to transition from mainly subsistence to more commercial agriculture. In addition, the farmer receives complementary services such as extension support in irrigated agriculture. Introduction of irrigation will help smallholder farmers grow crops all year. Farmers will be able to cope with dry spells, produce during the dry season, transition to higher value crops, such as horticultural crops and coffee, and hit the market when prices are more advantageous. Micro-scale irrigation is when a farmer irrigates a small plot. For example, a farmer can use a pump to take water from a nearby stream, and a hose to distribute the water in the plot.

The Cost Sharing Arrangement of the Program Through the Micro Scale Irrigation Program, Government will help farmers to pay for the irrigation equipment. With the cost depending on the nature of the farm (closeness to water source, terrain of the land, soil suitability, acreage to be irrigated, etc) and the varying prices of irrigation equipment, Government will pay between 25% and 75% of the total cost of the irrigation equipment, but with a maximum contribution of 7.2 million Shillings per acre. This implies that the farmer may pay between 2 million and 8 million Shillings per acre depending on the nature of the farm and the irrigation equipment that they choose.