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During the Mwea scheme management farmers consultative meeting at Wamumu section, the farmers said they pay water levy for maintenance of the roads in the scheme, but the work is never seen.
The farmers in the giant rice scheme have been complaining over the poor state of the road in the rice farms .
“Our plea to the National Irrigation Authority to repair rice farms has gone unheeded,” Ndung’u Waitu told the management.
The impassable roads, the farmers said, has made it difficult for rice farmers to transport rice to Mwea Irrigation stores and their homesteads.
“I am harvesting and transporting one bag of rice from the rice paddy to the main road at Ksh.600. I have paid over Ksh.60,000 to transport bags of rice to the rice stores over poor road networks,” the rice farmer said.
The farmers vowed to stop paying the Ksh.3000 maintenance fee over losses they are incurring as some cannot transport their bags of rice.
“Tractors are supposed to pick the produce from the rice farms but can no longer access the roads as most of the scheme roads are impassable,” Joseph Muriithi said.
Residents are accusing the irrigation authority of selling murram meant for the scheme to other sub counties.
Mwea Member of Parliament Mary Maingi said she raised the issue in parliament.
“There is no need to pay maintenance fees if they are collecting millions and nothing is being done in the scheme,” Maingi said.
The rice farmers accused their representatives of abandoning them.
“Once we elect our unit leaders they abandoned us to join the authority side. We have even raised issues of getting receipts without serial numbers in vain,” said Muriithi Kibitu.
Mwea irrigation scheme manager Innocent Ariemba defended himself, saying only 50% of farmers have paid water bills to the manager.
The scheme manager said over 500 km farm roads are being revamped in the scheme.
By Johnson Muriithi