Nyandarua has partnered with the National Irrigation Authority to improve access to safe, clean and affordable water for domestic and irrigation use.
The partnership has led to Sh184,817,531 worth of clustered irrigation projects rolled out in the county. The project will include rehabilitation of four colonial dams and establishment of irrigation programmes to improve diet and income.
Water executive Milka Wanjiru said 2,000 households will directly benefit. She led representatives from the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) in the handover of the projects to Kirwan Limited, the contractor.
Wanjiru said the county submitted a proposal to the NIA to help rehabilitate the 260 colonial dams in the region and establish projects with economic benefits to residents.
Of the dams, four were picked in the first cluster, which commences on October 13, 2020, and are expected to be complete by June 4, 2022.
Gathima-Gathimaki dam in Ndaragwa will be rehabilitated for about Sh63.7 million. The scope of works will cover 12km with a mainline of 1.8km to Ngobit, Sandai, Central Nyandarua, Aknhinga and Makirwaki lines.
Upper Gitwe dam in Kinangop will cost about Sh25.6 million, with the scope of works including a pump house, pumping unit for 28 litres per second, a storage tank of 125,000 litres, rising mains of 1.8km distribution lines.
Mumbi dam in Ol Kalou will cost about Sh18.3 million. The scope of works will include desilting a dam with a 50 million-litre capacity, construction of a 10 million-litre storage tank and a drip system, and five greenhouses.
Gwa Kiongo dam in Mirangine will be rehabilitated for Sh64.6 million, with the scope of works including desilting of a dam with a 175 million-litre capacity, constructing a 235,000-litre storage tank, and installing a distribution system.
“All the dams we have in the county range between 15 and 30 acres. As per Nyandarua county government transformative agenda, we found it wise to utilise them to better lives of residents,” she said.
Agriculture executive James Karitu said the project will go a long way in helping the county achieve climate-smart farming.
Recently, he cited a drastic change in climate as the need to do away with traditional farming methods for technologically driven ones.
Karitu said farmers will be educated and guided on how to grow various crops, including vegetables and fruits. Fish will also be introduced in the dams that are not populated with fish so far, to improve diet and income. There will also be enough and clean water for both domestic and livestock use during droughts.
“Residents should stop farming for the sake of it and focus on making profits,” he said.
Edited by F'Orieny
