Govt allocates KSh 128m for irrigation in Tana River County – KBC

The National Government has allocated over 128 million shillings to the Coast Development Authority (CDA) to start an irrigation project for farmers in Boji area of Tana River County.

The Authority Tana River County Coordinator Abdi Osman said the state had already disbursed 64 million shillings, some of which had been used on farmers’ mobilization meetings and survey work.

Already works including the construction of a water pipeline and in-field irrigation structures, wiring the pump house, supply and installation of irrigation systems, soil sampling and testing and supply and installation of water pumps have begun.

“The Boji Smallholder Farmers’ Irrigation Project is located in Kinakomba location on 400 acres and is expected to support 100 households directly and over 500 persons indirectly,” Osman said.

Osman was speaking at the Tana River County Commissioner’s office during a County Development Implementation and Coordination Committee meeting.

He said the project seeks to enhance food security by increasing crop production using irrigation technologies.

He was speaking at the Tana River County Commissioner’s office during a County Development Implementation and Coordination Committee (CDICC) meeting on Tuesday.

Galana River (Athi River) also passes through parts of the county, making the county’s agricultural potential immense.

That is why it is home to four major irrigation projects – Hola and Bura Irrigation Schemes, the Tana Delta Irrigation Project and the multi-billion Galana/Kulalu Food Security project – as well as a number or minor irrigation schemes.

However, the county has suffered perennial food deficits because farmers have not been empowered to harness the water from the two permanent rivers to produce food crops.