Government’s efforts to boost food security in the country has received a major boost following the completion of a Sh750 million irrigation project in Gatundu South, Kiambu county.
The multi-million project seeks to enhance the country’s food basket and improve residents' socio-economic status.
The project was implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture through the National Irrigations Authority.
It is expected to help achieve the bottom-up economic transformative agenda and boost farming.
Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho, who toured the project on Friday, said it encompasses irrigation of about 1,500 acres at Mutunguru, Kirangi, Gacharage and Munyuini villages in Gatundu South.
More than 3,000 farmers are set to benefit from the project.
The project involves collection and distribution of water from Rwabura and Thiririka Rivers.
The water will then be stored at Rwabura Dam, which has a storage capacity of 12 million cubic metres and Thiririka Dam with a storage capacity of 15 million cubic metres.
The PS, who was accompanied by NIA officials and area MP GG Kagombe, said the climate-smart agri-food systems investment is among tens of other projects that the national government is undertaking in its bid to reduce dependence on basic food imports.
“So far, 1,800 farmers who will be employing sprinkler irrigation in their half-acre parcels have been trained on the best farming practices. The remaining 1,200 will be trained in the next one month,” he said.
The farmers will be expected to produce maize, beans, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and napier grass.
This is in addition to butternuts, beetroots, courgettes, cassava, yams, arrow roots, radish, turnips, Brinjals and kales with an assurance of an aggregated market.
The PS said every beneficiary in the project is expected to earn between Sh900,000 and Sh1.2 million for three seasons in a year.
This will help eradicate poverty and reduce unemployment.
“This project will improve the lives of the farmers and turnaround the country’s economy. They will periodically receive training on better farming practices to maximise production as we seek aggregated markets for their produce,” Kimotho said.
He said food security will be achieved in the coming years upon completion of some 88 similar projects that are being undertaken across the country.
Kagombe praised the project as a major step in Kenya's food production strategy adding that it will transform the region into an agri-production hub.
The agricultural investment, he said will transform the sector and define how best to bring on board all relevant actors.
Kagombe urged farmers to embrace the project and strive to use the training to double their income.
The move, he said will restore the respect farmers had in the past.
“I am pleading with our farmers to turn up for trainings in order to benefit from this project. We will work with all relevant agencies to ensure that proper training is conducted and markets for the produce are ready,” Kagombe said.
He urged the government to intensify implementation of similar projects across the country to reduce importation of food that has been blamed for weakening the shilling.
Farmers led by Boniface Kamau and Lucy Nyambura expressed optimism that the project will increase their incomes and sustain food production in the country.
“We are grateful that we now have water in our farms, which has been a major setback in our farming and we are optimistic that we will reap huge proceeds and make the country food secure,” Nyambura said.
Njinu Ndiba, Ndarugu Ward MCA said Kiambu government will construct good feeder roads to enhance transportation of farmers’ produce to various markets.
