Sh100m water project in Mathira to be complete in a year – leaders

The more than Sh100 million Kaguyu and Kienja-ini Irrigation Project in Iria-ini, Mathira, will be completed within a year, leaders have said.

Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua said the county and national governments will work together to ensure the project is completed.

The two spoke at Gatura Primary School on Monday, where they gave out Sh9 million pipes bought by the county government.

The county government has provided pipes worth Sh15 million to cover a distance of 6.5km from the intake. The intake cost Sh2.9 million. It is complete.

Kahiga said the county government has set aside another Sh4 million in the 2019-20 budget to procure pipes to cover the remaining mainline. The mainline is expected to cost Sh40 million to completion.

MP Gachagua said the national government, through the National Irrigation Board, will inject another Sh50 million because of the irrigation component.

It will benefit 1,200 households with a population of 6,000 people, and irrigate 300 acres. It will enable residents to grow food crops for consumption and sale.

“This project will be of a lot of assistance, especially in food security and economic growth,” Kahiga said.

The project is expected to draw water from River Kururu in Chehe forest. The water will be distributed to seven villages – Kaguyu, Gikororo, Gatura, Kienjaini, Ndima Kanini, Miiri and Mathiya.

“The county government is doing the mainline from the intake, while the national government will do the distribution network so people can use the water for irrigation as part of the support for the President’s legacy of the Big Four,” Gachagua said.

This will ensure farmers boost food security through irrigation instead of relying on rainfed agriculture.

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