About 130km south of Lodwar town lies the expansive Katilu Irrigation Scheme on the perennial Turkwel River.
This oasis unveils a lesser-known facet of Turkana county, where maize and watermelon thrive as common crops, sustaining local farmers.
Milton Loito, the vice chairman of Katilu Irrigation Scheme, says the project has transformed lifestyles.
Some residents have shifted from nomadic life to permanent settlement and the scheme is fostering socio-economic development of the region.
Joseph Natapar, a farmer in Katilu, says the scheme has provided him with a stable source of income, enabling him to feed and pay school fees for his children from his two-acre farm.
“As a pastoralist, I lived forever watching my back, always fighting over livestock with the Pokots. Farming has provided more peace and stability,” he said.
Michael Dogoroboss, also a farmer in the scheme, said he has been able to shift to farming owing to the fertile soil and the water from River Turkwel that flows all year.
“Having fertile soil and sufficient water to farm throughout the year as well as Kenya Seed buying seed maize from us has enabled me to educate my children, clothe them and buy more cattle,” he said.
Farmer Johnstone Nyurle said that the scheme has created employment, reduced dependency on relief food, and spurred the growth of subsidiary industries such as transport and trading.
“We are now collaborating with well wishers more sustainably in that instead of them providing relief food, now they help with land preparation and providing seeds and fertilisers to help ensure that we produce as much food as possible. Our people are not afraid to put their hands to work,” Nyurle said.
Philip Juma, the officer in-charge at Katilu Irrigation Scheme, said the scheme was launched in 1966 and started its operations in 1970 thanks to collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agricultural Organization.
He said Katilu Irrigation Scheme, which is aimed at settling nomadic families from famine camps and cultivate hope in the dry land, is a testament to resilience and ingenuity.
“It started with 500 acres, where each family was allocated an acre. This has since been expanded to cover more than 1,500 acres benefiting 3,000 farmers,"he said.
"The scheme stands as a testament to the power of perseverance and collaboration.”
Over the years, teh project has undergone significant transformations, from furrow to basin irrigation systems by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation through the Ministry of Agriculture in 1982, and the adoption of high yielding crop varieties courtesy of the National Irrigation Authority.
Through the efforts of NIA, the scheme has achieved a lot, including the construction of dykes, rehabilitation of intake structures, and extensive canal lining and maintenance, Juma said.
“The authority has not only focused on enhancing irrigation infrastructure but also on capacity building and market linkages for local farmers. Through initiatives like contract farming with the county government, the National Cereals and Produce Board, Kenya Seed Company and collaborative efforts with stakeholders, farmers have been empowered to access credit facilities and inputs, leading to increased crop yields and economic empowerment.”
In recent years, the farmers has ventured into seed production with a pilot maize seed that yields between 18 and 35 90kg bags per acre.
Other crops grown include green grams, yielding about nine 90kg bags per acre, sorghum that yields about eight 90kg bags per acre, watermelons and tomatoes.
“Other crops introduced by the authority with great success include Nerica 4 rice yielding 25 paddy bags of 75kg per acre, DKC 90 - 89 maize yielding 30 to 35 90kg bags per acre, and other high-yielding maize varieties which are also resistant to pest and disease attacks,” Juma said.
The Authority together with Katilu Farmers Cooperative Society has improved the handling of harvested crops by providing weighing balances, tarpaulins for drying, maize shellers, wooden pallets and moisture meters.
Despite challenges such as drought and theft, the scheme continues to innovate and adapt, driven by the commitment to improve livelihoods and ensure food security for the community.
The irrigation authority regularly sensitises farmers and uses partnerships to overcome challenges such as slow land preparation, livestock interference and low institutional capacity.
Katilu Irrigation Scheme has a 3.5-acre model farm for crop research and education of farmers on best practices.
The model farm has several fruits and vegetables including bananas, pawpaws, mangoes, tomatoes, cowpeas, kales and butternut.
“Initially, we were growing sorghum and maize only. Now we grow fruits and vegetables as well which we thought were just wild plants,” said Michael Silale, a farmer at the scheme.
Katilu supplies watermelons to hotels in Lodwar town.
“The soil is very fertile and due to the heat in the region, the scheme produces sweet watermelons of up to five kilogrammes. Katilu scheme is revealing the agricultural potential of Turkana county through irrigation,” Juma said.
More than 1,500 acres are under irrigation out of the potential 2,500.