State to put 700,000 acres under irrigation

The government plans to put 700,000 acres under irrigation to enhance food security.

Water PS Joseph Irungu said on Thursday this would bring land under irrigation to 1.2 million acres.

“This will ensure food security and economic development in this country,” Irungu said in a speech read by Water Secretary Samuel Alima during the opening of the irrigation regulations validation workshop at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies.

Kenya depends on rain-fed agriculture despite being considered a water-scarce country. In August last year, 3.1 million Kenyans did not have food.

The PS said the Irrigation Department had identified three programmes to be undertaken to address food and nutrition challenges.

Irungu said large-scale irrigation projects such as Lower Nzoia, Mwea, Bura, Perkerra and other public schemes will be developed and rehabilitated. “The target is to increase the area of large-scale irrigation projects from 59,528 acres to 149,126 acres, an additional 89,598 acres,” he said.

Irungu said community-based smallholder projects being implemented through the national expanded irrigation programme will also be developed.

The department plans to construct 125,000 household water pans to irrigate 125,000 acres under irrigation water harvesting and groundwater exploitation programme, he said.

By December 31 last year, the PS said, 9,800 household water pans had been constructed. “De-silting of dams and construction of community water pans -1,000 colonial-era dams –will be rehabilitated to irrigate over 111,200 acres in various counties,” Irungu said.

Additionally, 240,000 acres are expected to be put under irrigation through a partnership with the private sector and other government agencies such as Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority and other institutions.

On Wednesday last week, outgoing Water CS Simon Chelugui said the ministry had asked the government to provide funds for the revival of Galana-Kulalu irrigation scheme.

“We were doing the planning and strategy of starting and completing that project which lacked a budgetary allocation of Sh600 million to develop to the level planned,” Chelugui told the press at his office when he handed over to CS Sicily Kariuki.

Chelugui said the model farm is 85 per cent complete and 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 said 3,000 acres were put into production last year.

The contract for the Galana Model Farm which covers 10,000 acres was awarded to Green Arava of Israel at Sh 14.6 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.

The contract was later extended twice and was expected to be completed by January 2018.

The Sh 7.3 billion model farm has been faced with controversy after the Israeli contractor downed tools.