Today, we held a high-level brainstorming session with the Director General & CEO of CIFOR-ICRAF, Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro, and her team, focused on strengthening collaboration with the State Department for Irrigation on greening Kenya’s six priority dams. The objective is to leverage climate finance, unlock Kenya’s irrigation potential, enhance national food security, and leapfrog achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The discussion underscored that while Kenya is well endowed with land, water, and forest resources, the key challenge lies in scaling investment and converting this natural capital into productive, climate-resilient agriculture. Strategic development of both large and small dams, combined with efficient water use for climate-smart farming and double cropping, was identified as a critical pathway to food security, resilience, and export-led growth. A central pillar of the engagement was financing and investment readiness, anchored on evidence generated through Natural Capital Accounting (NCA). We explored innovative financing approaches including blended finance, green finance, patient capital, and the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) as a catalytic instrument for viability gap financing, de-risking PPPs, and crowding in private capital for irrigation and water infrastructure. Emphasis was placed on credit enhancement mechanisms, risk-sharing arrangements, and the development of bankable water investment cases to unlock climate and adaptation finance at scale. The session also highlighted CIFOR-ICRAF’s comparative advantage in agroforestry systems, soil diagnostics, land suitability assessment, and Natural Capital Accounting. Their expertise in promoting the right tree for the right purpose, supported by robust soil testing and ecosystem data, presents a strategic opportunity to design targeted programmes that enhance productivity while restoring ecosystems.