The Lower Kuja Irrigation scheme in Migori County is set to benefit 197,000 persons indirectly after its phase I and II completion
The Irrigation Project which was recently inspected by President William Ruto will also be able to employ over 250,000 Kenyans and generate a wealth creation of about 6 billion once completed.
Currently, the scheme host 5,000 farmers who have been linked with the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) for subsidized fertilizer.
The scheme, a government sponsored project, is located in Nyatike Sub County, 45 Kilometers from Migori town, covering six locations and 13 sub-locations in Nyatike and Karungu divisions.
The Lower-Kuja irrigation has a history that dates back to the 1980s when various studies organised by the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA), identified the potential for irrigation within the Nyatike area with the use of water for irrigation from the two rivers of Kuja and Migori.
According to the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) Chairperson Engineer Gilbert Maluki, the project will improve the rice production in the country, create a sustainable supply of raw materials like straw, oil and hull for Agro-based industries as well as contribute to the foreign exchange.
The total project cost of the Lower Kuja Irrigation Scheme for phases I and II is Shs2.6 Billion where 7,000 acres of rice will be cultivated in phase one and an additional 12,000 acres in phase two.
In addition, the project will have 47 Kilometers of a drainage system, 212 kilometres of On-farm drainage and an extension of the 2.06-kilometre canal network.
The project has also seen the establishment of a private miller around the Irrigation Scheme that will not only increase rice production but also wealth creation and job opportunities in the county.
Other milling companies that were recently commissioned by President William Ruto on his visit to Nyanza; the Lake Basin Development Authority Rice Mill Project in Kibos, Kisumu County and the Usonga Siriwo Rice Mill in Siaya County will also boost and facilitate increased rice production and support farmers through value addition.
The rice scheme is in line with Vision 2030 and the Big Four agenda of; food and nutritional security to ensure; food security at the local level that will contribute towards the same at the national level.⁹
Speaking in August this year in a forum on the Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI) in Nairobi, the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr. Andrew Karanja said that the country was planning to reduce rice imports by 50 percent in the next five years.
Karanja said that instead, the country will be focusing on embracing high-yielding varieties and modern farming technologies to accelerate food production in the country.
However, the Lower Irrigation scheme has been facing a myriad challenges of land compensation and court injunctions.
Occasionally, works at the scheme had to be stalled after more than 40 court cases were filed against the National Irrigation Authority over the compensation claims.
During the inspection tour by President William Ruto, Maluki disclosed that already 68 Million had been allocated to compensate residents who gave their land for the construction of the scheme.
Already a team of officers from the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) have pitched a camp at the Lower Kuja irrigation scheme to verify individuals who are supposed to be compensated.
However, an additional 98 million is required to fully cater for the compensation package which stands at 166 million.
According to Lewnora Akinyi from Karapolo village, Nyatike Sub County, the start of the ongoing validation and verification process of the Shs166 Million compensation deal in the Lower Kuja irrigation scheme has brought back joy and hope to the affected families.
Akinyi is among more than 80 residents of Kakelo-Kakoth-Karapolo and Kanyuor villages awaiting compensation after being displaced from their land by the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) for the construction of a way leave at the scheme.
Lower Kuja irrigation scheme farmers’ representative Okeyo Oremo disclosed that a team of officers from the National Irrigation Authority have pitched a camp at the Lower Kuja irrigation scheme to verify individuals’ land credentials.
“We are happy that after the President’s inspection visit at the Lower Kuja Irrigation scheme, the validation for the compensation has started, an indication that the people who had not been compensated by the government from 2013 are going to receive their money”, said Oremo.
Oremo said they have agreed with the team that they are going to have specific dates for individuals from every block so that they can exhaustively handle the issue.
The compensation claims once settled will enable the uptake and operations of the irrigation scheme to live to its full utilization mode to benefit the entire country.
The scheme when fully revived will have 19,000 acres under rice farming. Currently, the scheme only has 6,000 acres under rice farming, which is partly active.
Oremo now urges the county residents to seize up the golden opportunity at the Lower Irrigation scheme and take farming seriously to generate profits, make the county food secure and utilise the technical know-how and support from the National Irrigation Authority.
By George Agimba
