Some 50 farmers from 13 sub-counties in Kiambu County who benefitted from a trip organised by Kiambu County Development Implementation Coordination Committee (CDICC) on Wednesday thanked the Government for the training they received on irrigation.
The farmers who will now go ahead and impart what they learnt on others in their respective sub-counties in Kiambu County said they appreciated efforts put in place to secure the community and cushion them from hunger.
The farmers accompanied Kiambu CDICC to Kenyatta location in Yatta of Machakos on a learning trip with an aim of learning more techniques in agriculture and how they could exploit them to boost food security for the growing population.
The host was Bishop Titus Masika, the Bishop of Yatta ACK Diocese who took the team on his journey to success using irrigation.
Bishop Masika told the team that even biblically, God has not allowed anybody to die of hunger, and that people should be ready to learn and think out of the box at all times.
He said Kenyatta location has 4, 000 water pans which were now enabling people to grow food for local consumption and also export a lot thus bringing them income.
The Kiambu County Commissioner(CC), Wilson Wanyanga who chairs the CDICC led the delegation which also comprised of CDICC members, Executive Member for Agriculture in the County Government of Kiambu, Joseph Kamau and line departments in the devolved government.
Beth Kamau, a farmer from Kijabe in Limuru sub-county speaking on behalf of the others said they had learnt many techniques during the trip.
She said that for the country to be self-reliant in food security, it was important for farmers to be patient, acquire new skills which would correct the mistakes that they have been doing for years and also consult with line department officers especially the extension officers as they were trained in all areas that could help turn around the economy of the nation.
Kamau called for more collaboration between the County and National governments saying boosting food security could not succeed without input from the National Government.
Another farmer, Duncan Kariuki from Githunguri sub-county marveled at the hard work by Bishop Masika who had transformed the entire location thus enabling people to produce their own food in an extremely dry part of the world where rain was last seen 17 months ago.
“We should thank the almighty that in Kiambu County we have all what it calls for to feed millions, yet we are doing very little as compared to farmers in this region,” he said.
The duo appealed to the government to intensify training of farmers in other areas which would address climate change as they endeavoured to produce more food for the people.
Prior to the trip, the National Irrigation Manager for National Irrigation Authority, Eng. Loice Kahiga had revealed during the last meeting that there were 642 water pans worth Sh.137.4 million in Kikuyu and Limuru sub-counties of Kiambu County to aid supplementary irrigation therefore boosting food security which is one of the agenda of the President.
By Lydia Shiloya
