State to expand Mwea scheme
Dr Kiome: The government has revived most of the irrigation projects at a cost of Sh2.5 billion. Photo/FILE
The government will expand the Mwea Irrigation Scheme with funding from Japan.
Agriculture permanent secretary, Dr Romano Kiome said the 16,000 hectare-scheme project will cost Sh8.3 billion. “The feasibility study will start next month and the project will be implemented in three years,” Dr Kiome said.
After completion, 35,000 farmers will get between a half to one acre plots for rice production.
The PS spoke in Nairobi on Tuesday during the African Forum on Rural Development, which comprises planners and implementers of projects in agriculture and rural development.
Dr Kiome said this was among the stepped-up efforts to increase the acreage under irrigation in the country at a total cost of Sh25 billion in the next five years.
He said the government had revived most of the irrigation projects at a cost of Sh2.5 billion except Ahero in Nyanza Province and Weiwei Irrigation Scheme in Kerio, Rift Valley Province which had not been fully rehabilitated.
He said the government had secured funding from the African Development Bank amounting to Sh1.8 billion for small irrigation schemes in the country which measure an average 900 hectares.
Dr Kiome told the forum that Africa had the highest rates of failure of large irrigation schemes and it was important to find solutions to problems bedevilling the continent. He said apart from provision of water for irrigation, farmers needed to use quality seeds and sufficient amounts of fertilizer to realise good yields.
Increased budget
The PS said the government had increased the budget for his ministry to Sh29 billion up from Sh13 billion in four years.
He said Mozambique, Angola and Malawi had achieved the 10 per cent budget ratio requirement demanded by the Maputo Declaration.
African countries agreed to raise their budget allocations for agriculture to 10 per cent of the total annual budgets to increase food production and fight poverty.
“A growing number of African governments are increasing their budget allocation to agriculture in line with the Maputo Declaration and pressure is mounting on others to follow suit,” he said.
Kenya is yet to achieve this requirement.
