Strategic Innovation Practices and Performance of Commercial Irrigation Projects in Kenya: A Case of Sunripe LTD.

Abstract

Performance of irrigation farming projects in Kenya has been poor despite its importance to development of socio-economy. Inconsistency in existing research findings trigger the need for further study. It was against this backdrop that the current study sought to establish the relationship between strategic innovation practices and performance of commercial irrigation faming projects; case of Sunripe Limited, Kenya. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between strategic innovation practices and performance of a commercial irrigation project in Kenya: A Case of Sunripe Limited. The objectives of the study were to: find out the innovation practices adopted by Sunripe Farm limited, examine the performance of Sunripe Limited irrigation project; evaluate the relationship between strategic innovation practices and performance of Sunripe Limited commercial irrigation project in Kenya and establish the moderating effect of government interventions on the relationship between strategic innovation practices and performance of Sunripe Limited commercial irrigation project in Kenya. The study was underpinned by Schumpeter’s Theory of Innovation, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and the Contingency Theory. An explanatory research design was adopted to examine the relationships among the study variables. A census approach was employed, targeting all 128 management staff of Sunripe Limited. This included 18 top-level managers, 36 middle-level managers, and 74 lower-level managers. The findings reveal that 80% of the respondents agreed that Sunripe Limited irrigation project utilizes strategic innovation practices. The performance of Sunripe Limited irrigation project varies linear wise with the adoption of strategic management practices. The regression model yielded an R² value of 0.729, indicating that these practices collectively account for 72.9% of the variance in project performance. Among the predictors, adoption of modern ICT emerged as the most influential (β = 0.727, p = 0.002), followed by research and development (β = 0.555, p = 0.001) and collaboration (β = 0.412, p = 0.003). Correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between each strategic innovation practice and performance, with coefficients of 0.456, 0.433, and 0.455 respectively, all statistically significant at p < 0.01. The mean scores for research and development (3.45), adoption of modern ICT (3.56), and collaboration (3.55) further reflect the participants’ strong perception of the effectiveness of these practices. The study recommends: (i) strengthening research and development through increased investment in agricultural innovation; (ii) enhancing the adoption of modern ICT by improving digital infrastructure and access to smart technologies; and (iii) fostering collaboration through multi-stakeholder engagement platforms and public-private partnerships. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of leveraging government interventions by aligning strategic innovation practices with national food security initiatives, accessing input subsidy programs, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. These findings directly contribute to the realization of Kenya Vision 2030 by promoting sustainable agricultural productivity. They also support Africa Agenda 2063 and 2050 by advancing inclusive growth, technological innovation, and agricultural transformation. For future research, it is recommended to explore additional moderating variables, such as organizational culture, and to conduct longitudinal studies to assess the long-term impact of strategic innovation practices on performance.