Major projects of the irrigation authority to the top include rehabilitation of 16 smallholder irrigation projects covering 13,910 acres; construction of 1,000 to 3,000 cubic metre water pans They target 25,000 households in different areas.
The National Irrigation Authority was established in 2019 as a successor to the National Irrigation Board.
NIA Chief Executive Officer Gitonga Mugambi said in an interview the projects link the authority's mandate and the Big 4 agenda, especially on food security and nutrition.
So far, the authority has rehabilitated 3,945 colonial-era water pans and small dams in 42 counties to store 197 million cubic metres to irrigate 98,500 acres.
The National Irrigation Authority said the irrigation schemes production status report as at March 31 shows the Hola scheme is benefitting 1,400 farmers. They mainly grow maize on 3,800 acres.
In the Bura scheme, 2,245 farmers are growing maize as the main crop as well as seed maize, watermelons, onions, rice, green grams, tomatoes and horticulture crops on more than 5,000 acres.
The report further shows in the Perkerra irrigation scheme, 2,500 acres are under seed maize production by 672 farmers.
In Ahero, 558 farmers are growing rice on 4,068 acres. About 400 acres of maize is being grown for a second season.
In West Kano, 781 farmers are growing rice on 1,300 acres. Land preparation is ongoing but 200 acres is still flooded due to rising lake levels. Desilting is ongoing and acreage will be cropped.
In Bunyala scheme, 1,394 farmers are growing rice on 2, 500 acres, while Katilu scheme is mainly under maize and sorghum cultivated by 2,000 farmers.
Some 720 acres is under maize, 250 acres of green grams and 350 acres of tomatoes, watermelon and other horticultural crops.
Others scheme are Lokubae, Lower Kuja and Usueni schemes currently under 2,260, 2,690 and 200 acres of maize, respectively.
The CEO said the authority has also established community-managed smallholder irrigation projects. So far, 25,629 household water pans, with the potential of putting 30,000 acres under irrigation have been constructed across 30 counties.
More than 222 irrigation projects have been constructed across all the 47 counties with a total of 129,796 acres. Construction works on Thiba Dam which started in March 2018 is expected to be completed in December 2021. Construction is at 58 per cent,” he said.
He said the dam will store 15.6 million cubic meters of water that will be utilized in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme and bring an additional 10,000 acres under irrigation.
These projects will increase of the area under irrigation from the current 25,000 acres to 35,000 acres. In addition, a double-cropping season will be introduced in he Mwea Scheme for the entire 35,000 acres.
In the past, farmers have only been cropping one season in year. Double-cropping will lead to an increase in rice production in Mwea from the current 114,000 metric tonnes to 200,000 metric tonnes in a year.
"This will be a major contributor to the Big Four on food security and nutrition," Mugambi said.
Other major irrigation projects being constructed across the country include the Galana Kulalu food and nutrition project.
(Edited by V. Graham)
