Water scarcity stands in the way of Kitui county becoming Kenya’s breadbasket, Devolution and Asals Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa has said.
Wamalwa spoke on Wednesday after presiding over the official opening of a two-day Kitui Expo 2020 at Kitui Stadium. The Kitui government is showcasing its products and services to the public.
Wamalwa said he was mesmerised by high-quality farm produce on display, adding that the county has the potential to feed the rest of Kenya. He said it was the onus of leaders and the government to provide water for Kitui to become a leading food producer.
He said residents and the leadership under Governor Charity Ngilu are generally highly industrious and natural resources are favourable.
Wamalwa said that to help the county realise its food-producing potential, the government is implementing numerous water projects to facilitate irrigation farming. He cited the multimillion-shilling Thwake Muiltipurpose Dam that straddles Kitui and Makueni counties.
The CS also commissioned the Sh28 million Kwa Ndaki Dam in Mathima area of Kitui South. He said more than 30 households rely on the dam for micro-irrigation, thus providing residents easy access to horticultural produce such as vegetables. He was accompanied by Ngilu.
The 150 million-litre capacity earth dam was constructed by the National Drought Management Authority in collaboration with the county government of Kitui, with funding to the tune of Sh21.5 million from the European Union.
Before the construction of the earth dam, residents trekked up to 20 kilometres in search of water. The dam has reduced walking distances to other water sources and has thus freed up time for residents to participate in other development activities.
Wamalwa praised Ngilu for implementing the Ndengu (green gram) Revolution and the Operation Mwolyo (relief food) Out initiatives to enable Kitui people to become food-secure and economically empowered.
He said the two programmes were in tune with the national government strategy to shift from giving famine-stricken people relief food by introducing the cash transfer programme.
“Strategies such as Her Excellency, the governor’s Ndengu Revolution and other campaigns such as Operation Mwolyo Out resonate with the spirit of the Ending Drought Emergencies strategy,” Wamalwa said.
He added that the Ending Drought Emergencies initiative that is under his ministry recognises the need to strengthen the foundations of growth and development.
“For instance, to improve access to water in Asals, the strategy prioritises the establishment of rainwater harvesting structures that retain water through several seasons.”
