Government to put 1.2 million acres under irrigation

 

The government will irrigate about 1.2 million acres of land countrywide by 2022.

Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki noted that already 600, 000 acres across the country are under irrigation, an increase from the initial 300,000 acres.

Kariuki said that to ensure the country achieves its water sufficiency targets, the government through the Ministry of Water has embarked on reviving old water pans, constructing new dams, desilting already existing dams and drilling boreholes.

This, she said, will go a long way in helping improve the economic livelihood of farmers as they will not depend on rain-fed farming.

This has been an impediment to achieving food security, which is one of the pillars in the government’s Big Four Agenda.

“Already, we have invested Sh1.6 billion worth of irrigation in Nyandarua County in the last two years. We have been able to connect seven out of ten people with water from the previous five out of ten people. I promise to ensure eight out of ten people are connected to water by August next year,” she said.

At the same time, the CS lashed out at leaders politicising national government projects, while urging national government administrators to ensure that state projects are completed on time, without undue political bickering.

Speaking Thursday while commissioning the Lereshwa borehole in Nyandarua County, Kariuki also urged residents to ensure that water committees in the villages observed gender equality and also included young people.

At the same time, the CS flagged off issuance of 300, 000 avocado tree seedlings across the county. 

"I want to see local farmers plant avocados and get an extra income. We can even export them to other countries in the near future,” she said.

Additionally, Kariuki encouraged farmers to practice agribusiness to ensure that people get an extra income that can supplement their diet and broaden income sources.    BY THE STAR