• Contract for the Galana Model Farm which covers 10,000 acres was awarded to Green Arava of Israel at Sh14.6 billion in September 2014.
• Outgoing CS urges new CS Sicily Kariuki to take up the matter and ensure it succeeds.
Image: COURTESY
The National Treasury has been asked to provide funds for the revival of Galana Kulalu irrigation scheme, outgoing Water CS Simon Chelugui said on Wednesday.
"We were doing the planning and strategy of starting and completing that project which lacked a budgetary allocation of Sh600 million to be able to develop to the level planned," Chelugui told the press at his office when he handed over to Sicily Kariuki.
The irrigation department has since been transferred to the Water and Sanitation ministry from Agriculture after an executive order last October.
Chelugui said 85 per cent of the model farm is complete while 20 centre pivots have been installed covering 3,300 acres.
"Pipes of drip irrigation covering 2,000 acres have been installed and construction of two pumping stations are also complete," he said.
According to the CS, the production status of the scheme includes 1,110 acres of maize, 42 acres of cotton, 125 acres for green grams and fodder, 125 acres.
Chelugui, who has since been transferred to the Labour ministry, said 3,000 acres were put into production last year.
He asked CS Kariuki to take up the matter and ensure it succeeds.
Kariuki said she will engage the technical team on how best to revive the project by sourcing funds.
"Having come from the Health ministry, there are challenges that need to be addressed. Twenty-six per cent of children are stunted while 11 per cent are undernourished. 19,000 Kenyans die due to sanitation-related diseases," Kariuki said.
She said irrigation can address some of the challenges.
"That project has the potential to ensure food security. I will ask the minister also to look at changing the ways of management of the scheme either concession or privatising so that the authority in place now oversights the same," Chelugui said.
The contract for the Galana Model Farm which covers 10,000 acres was awarded to Green Arava of Israel at Sh14.6 billion in September 2014.
The contract was later revised to Sh7.3 billion after deferment of some items.
The contract was expected to be completed in March 2016.h e contractor was expected to complete the construction/installation of irrigation infrastructure within 18 months and test the system during the defects liability period of 12 months.
The contract was later extended twice and was expected to be completed by January 2018.
The Sh7.3 billion model farm has been faced with controversy after the Israeli contractor downed tools.
According to National irrigation board, the value of the pending works is Sh989.4 million.
The board cites the slow rate of implementation by the contractor. It also cited none compliance of conditions by the contractor.
Edited by R.Wamochie