Kenya must increase investment in irrigation and water storage if it is to keep feeding its growing population, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has said.
Kagwe said the country could no longer afford to depend on rainfall alone, especially as weather patterns become less predictable and demand for food continues to rise.
“The population is growing and that does not mean the size of Kenya will increase. It is therefore important that we have water available to match that growth and feed our population,” Kagwe said.
The CS spoke in Kilifi County after launching the Ksh79 million rehabilitation of the Ndigiria Water Pan in Bamba.
The project is part of the Government’s wider plan to increase water availability for agriculture by rehabilitating existing water pans, building dams, harvesting runoff and tapping groundwater in areas where it is suitable.
Kagwe said too much water is lost during rainy seasons, only for communities to experience shortages when the rains stop.
He said the Government wants to capture and store this water and put it into productive use, particularly in agriculture.
“Kenya cannot continue depending on rain alone to feed its people. We must have water available for agriculture so that farmers can produce whether it rains or not,” he said.
The Government is also pursuing major irrigation projects, including Galana-Kulalu, alongside the construction and rehabilitation of dams and irrigation schemes across the country.
Ndigiria water pan project
The Ndigiria Water Pan was established in 1963 and has now been earmarked for rehabilitation to restore its water storage capacity.
The project is expected to support a 50-acre smallholder irrigation scheme, directly benefiting more than 100 farmers. About 4,026 people are expected to benefit indirectly, while the facility will also provide water for an estimated 15,398 livestock.
The works will include desilting and stabilising the water pan, fencing, construction of an intake structure and installation of pumping units and distribution pipelines.
The project will also have balancing tanks, solar power systems and irrigation infrastructure to support farming.
The rehabilitation is being implemented through the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP).
Kagwe said the project should go beyond simply providing a source of water, arguing that the ultimate goal was to increase food production and improve household incomes.
He encouraged farmers to grow both food crops and commercial crops so they can improve food security while earning additional income.
Farmers taking part in the scheme will also receive seeds, extension services and technical support.
The CS instructed the contractor to rehabilitate the pan in phases in order to allow access to water throughout the process.
Further, he instructed the contractor to accelerate the pace of the work in order to make sure that the pan is in position to receive as much run-off as it can during the rainy season.
Kagwe further instructed the separation of watering points for livestock from the irrigation facility in order to avoid any interference by the animals in agricultural activities.
He further instructed that residents be prioritized when it comes to employing people for the project.
The CS also noted that the irrigation project needed good roads in order to facilitate transportation of produce to the market.
He directed that the road leading to the water pan be graded and pledged to push for improvement of the wider Bamba road network at the Cabinet level.
