Written By Vanessa Kariuki ||
H.E. Zsolt Meszaros, the ambassador of Hungary to Kenya, met with Hon. Alice Wahome, the cabinet secretary for water, irrigation, and sanitation, and the PS irrigation, Gitonga Mugambi, to discuss the expansion of the rehabilitation and upgrading of the pumping station in the Ahero Irrigation Scheme.
The Ministry has determined that the rehabilitation and improvement of the pumping station in the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kisumu County will be supported under the tied-aid arrangement. This was done through the National Irrigation Authority.
The Hungarian scheme in Ahero, which intends to set up a solar pumping system, has received praise from CS Wahome.
She added that the Ahero modernization project would lower water pumping expenses, lowering the cost of farmers’ rice production.
“The government is keen on expanding irrigated areas under rice as it has recently done in Mwea where an additional 10,000 acres has been opened up for production as a result of the Thiba dam,” said the CS.
On his part, H.E. Mr. Zsolt Meszaros expressed appreciation for the positive working relationships between the two nations and stated that the meeting’s goal was to expedite the implementation of the Hungarian tied-aid project in Aid.
During the discussion, a timeline for completing the tendering process, signing the commercial agreement, and finalizing the finance agreement for the project was laid out.
