Yatta residents benefit from revived water project turned into irrigation scheme

For a long time the vast majority of Machakos County residents have toiled on their small family farms under the blistering heat of the unforgiving semi-arid terrain and persistent drought brought by failure of rain.

Year after year the people have literally begged for water from the government to improve their farming through irrigation.

For the majority, water for irrigation remains a pipedream except for a lucky two villages tucked deep in Yatta Sub-County.

But life has dramatically changed for people in these two villages of Iviani and Kondo, since a local pastor teamed up with an engineer from the National Irrigation Board (NIB) and wrote a proposal to revive an old water-drinking project that collapsed 15 years ago after running for only four years.

It was a simple yet noble wish to change the community that inspired Reverend Stephen Kioko, the YMCA Kondo Branch Manager, to dream up the rehabilitation of the collapsed old water project into an irrigation scheme.

Through collaboration with the Yatta District Irrigation Officer Patrick Njiru, the irrigation board released Sh24 million to fund two hundred farmers to irrigate a quarter acre each through the drip irrigation system.

SUPPLIED FARMERS WITH DRIP LINES

The NIB, through a contractor, supplied the farmers with drip lines, pesticides and fertilizer, but only 96 households out of the 200 farmers were able to receive the drip lines.

A new electricity water pump was installed at the pump house located near Yatta canal and the sump tank rehabilitated.

The locals have now taken up commercial farming, albeit reluctantly, and are growing tomatoes, water melons, sukuma wiki, cabbages, onions, French beans and traditional vegetables among many other crops.

Patrick Kimeu, one of the beneficiaries of the irrigation scheme, was among the first people to take up commercial farming after the irrigation board installed drip lines in his farm.

"I planted tomatoes in an eighth of an acre farm after realising that a quarter acre farm was too big to manage and I harvested 12 crates which brought a profit of Sh24,000," said Patrick.

PLANTED WATER MELONS

Immediately after harvesting the tomatoes, Patrick planted water melons seeds that he was given for demonstration by the irrigation board on another eight acre patch and is expecting to rake in at least Sh30,000 in less than a month when they mature.

Water melons take about 90 days to mature. On the eighth acre patch he harvested the tomatoes, Patrick is now planning to plant cabbages.

"I have been able to pay school fees for my two children in high school with no balance left. I have also employed one worker to help in the farm," Patrick added gleefully.

In addition, Patrick has planted sukuma wikis which he harvests every two weeks as well bananas and pawpaw.

Another farmer, 62-year-old Josephine Bahati, planted tomatoes and made Sh12,000 from her first harvest in an eighth of an acre farm.

As she continues to harvest the tomatoes, Josephine has also ventured into planting water melons.

"These days when I sell my tomatoes I am able to buy soap, sugar and other items required at home. I no longer have to ask for money from any one.

I can go to the market and make up to Sh2000 in a day’s sale," said Josephine.

"I am also able to buy soft foods for my aging mother and take good care of her," added Josephine.

WATER FROM YATTA CANAL

The irrigation scheme relies on water from the Yatta canal which is collected in a sump tank and then pumped into an elevated tank with a capacity of 100,000 litres.

The water from the elevated tank is then managed through three water lines serving the two villages.

"About 36 farmers of the 96 who received the drip irrigation lines from the National Irrigation Board have taken up farming," said Stephen.

However, ignorance, illiteracy, apathy and technical problems have been the main obstacles hindering most of the villagers from embarking in commercial farming.

"Some people are just using the water for washing clothes, cooking or drinking and are yet to start farming but we are looking forward to building capacity," said Rev Kioko, the pioneer of the irrigation project.

The pioneers hope that the improved lifestyles and success of those who have taken up irrigation farming will inspire the others, especially the indifferent youth.

YOUTH NOT INTERESTED

From the sample of farmers Nation.co.ke met at the village farms, it was clear the youth have ignored the potential benefits they could gain by engaging in commercial farming.

Most of the farmers are middle-aged men and women.

"The youth stay away from our YMCA meetings and refuse to be involved since we do not hand out money," explained Rev Kioko.

The fresh produce from the farms is mostly sold at the busy Kithimani Town bus stop which is strategically located at the Machakos-Nairobi-Garissa intersection.

Some of the farmers also sell fresh produce at their farms to neighbours.

As more and more villagers take up commercial farming on their family farms using the available resources, poverty in these two villages in Yatta will be a thing of the past.