- The ground water could be accessed for farming through solar pumping.
- With technological developments, solar borehole pumping solutions have become much cheaper to implement.
Image: Handout
Water and energy supplier group, Davis & Shirtliff has called for effective management of water and exploration of groundwater to tame the impact of ravaging drought in the country.
This, mainly targets the small-scale farmers who account for up to 80 per cent of food produced in the country.
The group notes that Kenya and the larger East Africa region have an abundance of ground water that can be accessed for agriculture through solar pumping.
The group’s CEO George Mbugua said that with technological developments, solar borehole pumping solutions have become much cheaper to implement.
“The farmers need to be educated on the benefits of mechanising their farmlands through irrigation and solar pumping,” Mbugua said.
He further said that borehole drilling remains quite expensive and it is necessary to look into alternative options for small-scale drilling to make groundwater pumping more accessible to small-scale farmers.
Smallholder farmers are also being urged to consider making maximum use of less water currently at their disposal for agriculture.
This is by shifting away from traditional irrigation methods that are wasteful of water.
“One of the technologies they can turn to is drip irrigation that ensures crops are fed with the precise amount of water that they need,” Davis & Shirtliff says.
The group also reiterates that its keen to support the government and research institutions in developing initiatives to address challenges such as the extended drought.
“It is only through close collaboration between the government, research institutions and the private sector that successful interventions can be developed, piloted and scaled throughout the East African region,” Kimani said.
The ongoing drought situation is a major challenge. In Kenya according to the latest reports, the situation has continued to worsen occasioning almost 4.35 million people to go to bed hungry.
It's on this concern that the group insists on an aligned and comprehensive strategy to alleviate the effects of the drought.