Irrigation changes the lives of Wajir and Mandera residents

At least 2,000 residents of Wajir and Mandera counties have adopted horticulture farming after several irrigation projects were initiated in the region.

Daniel Nzonzo, National Irrigation Authority head of communication said residents of the two counties are now utilising community water pans and boreholes sunk by NIA to grow crops.

He said Wajir and Mandera are some of the counties where the authority has been implementing the projects to help residents adopt irrigated agriculture and diversify their economic activities. Residents are mostly pastoralists.

“The authority has come up with the most sustainable way of availing water to residents for irrigation, livestock and domestic use by excavating community water pans and sinking boreholes at strategic areas,” he said.

In Wajir county, about 700 acres have been placed under irrigation, benefiting about 700 farmers directly. Mansa Irrigation Project in Tarbaj is one of 20 in the county.

Bashane Omar, a community leader in Wajir said, “Our lives changed when the irrigation project was established. The authority supported residents by training them on how to use irrigation. Our dreams of being food sufficient have come true.” 

In Mandera county, 22 irrigation projects covering about 1,240 acres have been initiated, benefiting about 1,240 farmers directly.

Lehele Irrigation Project in Kotulo subcounty is one of the projects in which farmers grow fruits and vegetables. They grow mangoes, bananas, pawpaws, oranges, kales, tomatoes and capsicum.

Suleiman Omar, a farmer at Lehele, said they sell the fruits they harvest to local markets, but before they used to buy such produce. 

Nzonzo said the projects range from 20-200 acres each. The majority of farmers grow fruit trees such as mangoes, bananas, pawpaws, oranges and vegetables such as kales, tomatoes and capsicum.

“When you provide water for irrigation and empower farmers and Kenyans, people are able to get food to eat and sell. This money goes to healthcare, housing and therefore irrigation is at the centre of the Big Four Agenda,” Nzonzo said.  

He said NIA is putting together all the mechanisms possible to scale up and accelerate irrigation expansion and reach as many Kenyans as possible. This, he added, will ensure Kenyans are food secure.

“The manufacturing pillar depends mostly on irrigated farming because these raw materials like cotton and sorghum come from the farms. Therefore, irrigation is contributing directly to the manufacturing pillar,” he said.

Edited by A.N