Multibillion-shilling Central irrigation projects transform lives

The government has established numerous projects that have transformed the lives of farmers in the Central region.

Through the National Irrigation Authority, it has invested heavily in the expansion and establishment of irrigation projects under the Expanded National Irrigation Programme.

This is to ensure farmers have efficient and modern irrigation infrastructure that enables them to farm throughout the year and contribute towards food security.

In December 2019, the President said that rain-fed agriculture would not provide sufficient food for the country and that it was a challenge that had to be confronted head-on if the country was to be food secure.

He said he conceptualised the Big Four agenda in appreciation of the fact that in order to accelerate the achievement of Vision 2030, the country needed to take a new approach to its medium-term planning and focus on issues that could have the greatest impact on the well-being of Kenyans.

Engineer Joseph Muchina who is the coordinator of the National Irrigation Authority in Mt Kenya West said the aim of the expanded programme is to establish irrigation projects in communities through registered farmers groups.

“We understand that the country has been experiencing a shortage of rains. The government has come up with the programme to empower farmers by facilitating them to start irrigation projects and engage in agribusiness,” he said.

In Nyeri, Riamukurwe project currently covers 750 acres but has the potential to irrigate 2,000 acres.

Over 4,200 farmers are currently using the project to grow cabbages, peas and fruits.

Paul Waimeri, a farmer, said they suffered before the project was established as they could only plant maize and beans which did not do well because of a shortage of rains.

Once complete, the project enabled farmers to engage in horticulture and boost their returns.

“Maize did so poorly, we ended up feeding the stalks to cows but now our lives have been changed. We are able to plant horticultural crops while producing sufficient foods for our cows,” Waimeri said, adding that every household is now able to produce enough food for consumption and sale.

Lydia Wachira, another farmer said they were forced to wait for the undependable rains before and would go hungry during droughts.

Wachira said to irrigate their farms, they were forced to use pumps that were expensive or use buckets that were tedious.

“Farming has now been eased. One only needs to invest in sprinklers.

"I chose to focus on tomatoes, sukuma wiki and cabbages and as Christmas approaches, I plan to have a lot of vegetables to make a killing from the festivities,” she said, adding that she is now able to effortlessly pay for her children’s fees.

The ongoing Changachicha project will cover 1,600 acres of land, benefiting 6,700 households with irrigation and domestic water.

King’ori Muteru from Chinga area said the area which heavily depends on tea and coffee has been facing an acute water problem.

Muteru however said horticulture provides fast money and that the project will boost the local economy and create more jobs.

In Laikipia, Mutaro irrigation project that has been renovated and expanded by NIA has reprieved locals, with many engaging in commercial food production.

The project has seen over 1,000 acres of land irrigated and benefits over 1,000 households.

Lucy Njeri said since it was completed, the project has made it easier for them to engage in commercial farming.

She said before the project was renovated, she would even go to the farm at night to try and get water for irrigation as the supply was not dependable.

“Sometimes we would wait up to a week to get the water for irrigation but with the project expanded, I have been able to employ over 20 people in my farm,” she said, adding that she engages in onions farming.

Peter Kimathi, said farmers would constantly argue due to the erratic water supply but now, he is able to engage in baby corn farming which he said sells at a higher price than maize.

Kimathi engages in contract farming and is able to sell his baby corn every two weeks.

In Nyandarua, NIA has established numerous communal dams and over 2,025 water pans in individual homes, covering over 2,150 acres of land.

The NIA coordinator Muchina said the Authority is establishing water pans in individual households that can hold up to one million litres of water.

The water pans and communal dams collect water mostly during the long rains and help farmers to engage in irrigation farming.

Tabitha Gathecha said they used to rely on relief food during droughts due to lack of water but with the water pans, their farms are now busy and productive.

She plants chamomile, together with four other women, and makes enough sales to sustain their families.

“Chamomile is easy to farm since it is purely organic. We only use manure and can harvest for many months. This project has empowered small-scale farmers and made them self-dependent,” she said.

Mumbi dam in Olkalau is 90 per cent done and will benefit 225 households and ensure 106 acres of land are irrigated.

Charles Murage said as farmers, they wrote to NIA seeking its support in the establishment of the dam.

“We have been experiencing a drought that almost kills our cattle and destroys our food crops but once the dam is done, we will be able to farm throughout the year,” he said.

Gwa Kiongo dam is also being expanded to enhance its capacity and ensure more farmers benefit from it.

Bernard Ndegwa said Gwa Kiongo area does not have clean drinking water and that expansion of the dam will provide locals with the commodity in their homes.

“Very few people have the capability to sink boreholes to get water in their homes and the ones that do have to dig deep to get to the aquifer,” he added.

Michael Maina, a fisherman in the dam, said their fish die when water levels get too low during dry seasons.

Maina is in a group of 10 youths that fills the dam with fingerlings for their fishing activities.

“The expansion will make it possible for us to include more fish varieties,” Maina said.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)