The perennial water problem that has been facing the community around Kiamathatwa, Nyaga and Kombuini villages in the outskirts of Kutus town may soon be thing of the past after the government allocated Sh.8 million for water provision in the area.
The community initiated the project in 2004 but was only able to construct the water intake leaving the piping part
undone.
The Vice Chair of the Kiamathatwa Irrigation Water Project, Simon Kimani said they have been seeking for funds to complete the water to no avail until the national government came to their rescue.
“It is the same national government which gave us funds for the construction of the water intake at river Rutui in 2010,” he said
The community participated in the project by providing labour and dug up the trenches and in laying of the pipes as their contribution to the project.
The provision of the irrigation water will enhance the farming of bananas, and horticultural crops like the French beans and the tomatoes.
According to Kimani, the area receives low rainfall which is not enough to sustain farming without irrigation.
The project is envisaged to boost the economy of the area and creation of gainful engagements to women and youths in the area.
The project will provide water both for domestic and irrigation to about 300 members who also contributed Sh. 5,000 towards the project.
On completion, the water project will also cater for areas that had not been factored in the initials plans once they pay the registration fee of Sh. 5,000.
Kimani said members covered by the project will be allowed to irrigate only half an acre of land per member, as way of making sure all the members benefit equally from the project.
The Treasurer of the Project, Margret Wanjiru said it will be fully operational by September this year.
Pipe work has already been done covering a distance of 22 kilometres from Rutui River to the farms and the water will run by gravity.
The project is registered with the social services and covers the area between Kutus Municipality School and Kimicha shopping centre.
Wanjiru said the members still need support to install a water storage tank with a capacity of at least five hundred thousand cubic meters and asked the county government to chip in.
By Irungu Mwangi
