The Galana Kulalu Food Security Project in Kilifi and Tana River counties is gradually becoming a key source of employment, with over 5,000 job opportunities created as investors establish big agribusinesses in the area.
The government maintains that the redevelopment of the project’s infrastructure is giving it a new lease of life after it was dormant for years due to various problems.
Starting in 2013, the project initially encountered difficulties such as lack of infrastructure, water scarcity, and costly operations, all of which led to slow progress and withdrawal of investors.
Nevertheless, new government spending and policy encouragement are now inspiring private sector involvement through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This strategy is set to increase productivity, improve food supply, and generate more job openings for communities in the area.
Leader of the Government Delivery Unit, Olando Sitati, remarked that the government is determined to grow the project as a way to secure food at the national level and drive economic development.
He added that there are preparations to make another 100,000 acres in Tana River County available mainly for agricultural activities, which in turn, community members in the county will benefit even more from employment and for investors through this project.
He said that agriculture is still a major part of local economies, and with the revival of this project, there would be more opportunities to tap into the agriculture sector.
According to Sitati, government is planning a major upgrade of the road network running through the region that will be used for heavy vehicles. He argued, that this is crucial for agribusiness development as movement in and out of the area has been made easier and faster.
The Galana Kulalu project is still one of Kenya’s most representative agricultural projects intended not only to increase food production but also to transform rural communities through job creation and infrastructural development.