Written By John Mutiso 📝
A section of leaders from Kilifi County want the National Government to implement the Sh 2.3 billion Kavinyalalo integrated irrigation scheme initiated by the late former President Mwai Kibaki.
The leaders from the Malindi sub-county said the process of establishing the irrigation scheme was started by Kibaki during his second term in office but after exiting office the Jubilee Administration led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto relocated it to Galana Kulalu.
Led by Kakuyuni Ward Member of County Assembly Nixon Mramba they said already feasibility studies were done, and public participation and committee formed but things changed after the former president left office.
Speaking during the official handing over of 28 water pumps and generators worth Sh.2 million to community groups to do irrigation in Madunguni Mramba said once the project is implemented the locals will no longer depend on relief food.
“During the tenure of President Kibaki who is now deceased and Raila Amolo Odinga they brought a project here called Kavinyalalo integrated irrigation scheme, a survey was done, beacons were placed, committees formed, sensitization was done but before it was implemented the term for Kibaki was over,” he said.
After the project was relocated to Galana Kulalu he said hopes for locals to be food secure faded and were forced to continue depending on rains for farming.
The MCA said when there are no rains like what happened in the last three seasons locals suffer and appealed to the government to ensure the project is implemented to help address the problem of food insecurity.
The project he said was to be funded by the national irrigation board then which is now the National irrigation Authority.
“We have not seen any benefit of the Galana Kulalu project so we are appealing to the government to bring back the project it will enable us to stop relying on relief food because we have the capacity to do farming, to produce food for us, and even for sale,” he said.
Mramba said the pumps were bought through the ward development funds from the County government of Kilifi and will enable the farmers to do small-scale irrigation farming.
Malindi Parliamentary Candidate Amina Mnyazi who was present during the handing over of the pumps thanked the MCA for initiating the program saying it would benefit over 280 families directly and hundreds of others indirectly.
She also called on the government to initiate the project which stalled as it would go a long way in addressing the problem of hunger.
Mnyazi said it is very unfortunate that the project failed to kick off adding that it’s still not clear why the national government could not implement the project to date.
“My urge and plea is to the government to join hands and address the challenges faced by the people of Malindi particularly in the agricultural sector because there is a food shortage currently,” she said.
The locals who benefitted from the water pumps thanked the MCA for coming up with the equipment saying they would go a long way in enabling them to do irrigation.
Joyce Wanje a farmer from Madunguni area said the water pump and generator will help her get food and money to educate her children.
“I am a widow and I depend on farming to support me so if I plant vegetables and maize I sell and get school fees for my children,” she said.
Previously she said they were using buckets to do irrigation which was very challenging but with the pumps it would be easier and faster to irrigate their farms.
Alphonce Furaha a farmer from Kisiwani said as youth they had dreams of getting such equipment to do irrigation.
Furaha said the river Galana was close to them, but getting the equipment to pump water was a challenge.
“We thank the leader who came up with this initiative he has fulfilled our dreams, we are going to benefit and uplift our community too,” he said.
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