Agency to drill Sh100m boreholes in drought-hit Kerio Valley

Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) will spent more than Sh100 million on drilling of boreholes in Kerio Valley to mitigate drought and conflicts over water resources.

CEO of  Sammy Naporos said the authority is in the process of identifying areas where the boreholes will be drilled to help communities access clean water.

“KVDA will drill the boreholes in areas that have been affected by drought due to the failure of rains for the last three years. This will help the affected people to access water and also for their animals,” he said.

Naporos said due to severe drought, the government has been providing food  aid to the affected families in Kerio Valley.

“With the boreholes some of the farmers will also be able to use the water for irrigation so that they produce food," Naporos said.

He spoke when he presided over the official closure of this year’s Eldoret ASK National Show.

He said farmers would be encouraged to engage in cultivation of crops that mature within short periods.

The theme of this year’s show was Promoting Climate Smart Agriculture and Trade Initiatives for Sustainable Economic Growth.

Naporos said residents in arid areas would also benefit from the use of technology to grow drought resistant crops.

However, he said drought had not affected the production of honey in Kerio Valley and that more farmers would also be encouraged to take up honey production.

“The ongoing drought has not affected honey production because we only need little water for flowers on the trees so that the bees can get nectar to produce honey." 

Some of the bee  farmers have however relocated  from their  homes and Naporos said if  it  does not rain in the next three months then production by the farmers would drop drastically.

He said the honey factory processes over  150 tonnes of  raw  honey, adding that last year, bee farmers in the region received over Sh60 million from  KVDA.

“With introduction of such farming activities then we will also help to transform some of the communities who have been largely relying on livestock keeping which perpetrates banditry,” he said.

At the same time, he said they have introduced a new species of grass known as the  African Foxtail grass that suits semi-arid and arid areas of Kerio Valley.

KVDA board chairman Mark Chesergon said the grass species is drought-resistant and will reduce the challenges of pasture that pastoralists  face, often leading to inter-community conflict within the  Kerio Valley.

“We want to provide  Kerio valley communities with an alternative animal feed that can be used during the  dry season saving them from traveling long distances  that would often lead  to  conflict with other pastoral communities,” Chesergon said

The new variety of grass will be introduced in several areas including Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet among others.

 “This will help to mitigate in the cattle rustling related conflicts in the region”he said.

KVDA has  urged communities within Kerio Valley to practice bee keeping that is suitable in the areas  and especially  in Tiaty  constituency that produces the best honey but is ravaged by banditry.