State revamping Galana Kulalu project to maximise potential

The National Irrigation Authority is in the process of reengineering the Galana Kulalu food security project in Kilifi and Tana River.

The plan is to increase capacity for irrigation before handing the project over to private investors to commercialise it.

So far, the 10,000-acre test farm at the Galana Kulalu food security project is expected to be complete by December to pave the way for public-private partnerships.

The first contractor, Green Arava, set up infrastructure for 5,100 acres before NIA took over the project and began implementing it.

In February, the irrigation authority hired a Kenyan contractor, Irrico International, who is putting up the infrastructure at a cost of Sh800 million, which is lower than the Sh5 billion spent by the previous one, an Israeli company.

Currently, NIA is committed to making sure the infrastructure is in place to suit the needs of the investors who would be willing to do irrigation.

Further, they are also testing a variety of crops to ensure the investors who come in shall also have a choice of the best crops viable in the area to have value for their money.

A team of the new board of directors, led by chairman Joshua Toro, toured the farm on Tuesday and were impressed by the progress of the work being done despite the challenges faced by the project.

The chairman said once the infrastructure is put in place, there will be a possibility of putting more than 200,000 acres under irrigation.

Already, Irrico International is at an advanced stage of the works and is setting up a new pumping station that will be waterproof and safe from flooding, pipeline, and 25 additional centres pivot systems for irrigation.

Authorities said the current contractor is setting up electromechanical, mechanical and civil works on the remaining 4,900 acres.

The contractor is also installing three 1 MVA AND 15 KVA water-cooled engines and power generators complete with controls.

Irrico will also provide, instal, test, and commission electric motor-driven pumps mounted on a provide, instal common base plate, complete with cables and control panels.

Further, the company will also do fencing. The overall work done is currently 30 per cent. 

This year, NIA targets to crop 5,100 acres of the farmland in the season that began in April. Some 2,080 acres were already done.

Toro said their work is to put infrastructure and then leave the remaining work, which includes farming to be done by the community, but given that the land belongs to the government, the ministry and NIA will see the best way to give to the private sector.

“When the President came to launch this project, he said the Jubilee government was intending to have one million acres countrywide under irrigation, not Galana Kulalu alone,” he said.

The government said over 200,000 acres in Galana Kulalu and not one million as reported earlier in the media are fit for irrigation, he said.

He said the local contractor was doing a commendable job with minimum costs unlike the previous one.

Toro said previously, NIA engineers were not involved in the designing process as it was the contractor who was dictating what was to be done.

However, the current contractor was doing more with little money, he said, adding that even the centre pivots being installed are 25—more than what the previous contractor installed.

“The current contractor who is Kenyan is doing 4,900 acres, which is about 50 per cent of the work, and will spend Sh800 million so compare the Sh5 billion with that and see the difference,” he said.

Fatma El-Maawy one of the NIA directors said it was the first time to be in Galana but was surprised to see an area that was a desert turned into productive land.

She termed it sad that Kenya has to import food, yet the potential for producing its own food is high.

“The National Irrigation Authority has empowered us by ensuring they bring water, which is important for humans and animals. We can use the water in a good way by increasing production,” she said.

El-maawy said they saw modern coconut trees that take the shortest time to mature being grown in Galana, as well as cashew nuts, pineapples, mangoes, and maize.

She said with the potential in Galana, there is no need for the country to import maize when the money can be used to increase production and ensure Kenyans get maize cheaply.

The director said there was a need for talks with other stakeholders to begin looking for investors who can commercialise the project.

“If we can commercialise this project, we shall achieve one of the flagship projects of the government—food security. There is enough for our consumption here and even surplus to sell to other countries," she said.

Samuel Alima, another director, said NIA was impressed by the work done in Galana Kulalu.

He said it is now evident that the government can build infrastructure and the public sector takes it to a commercial level.

“When we get back, we will see what we can improve on and the roadmap to PPP which is done through a commercialised way,” he said.

-Edited by SKanyara