The German delegation led by Baerbel Kofler, German Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Cooperation and Development, has commended the members of Kandiu Irrigation Farmers’ Cooperative Society Limited for their efforts to become self-sustaining in the projects that were collectively funded by the German government and the government of Kenya.
The Smallholder Irrigation Project seeks to improve productivity and climate-resilient crop production under both rain-fed and irrigated conditions through diversification of crops and increased adoption of improved varieties, combined with climate-smart agricultural practices.
Baerbel Kofler said the important commodity in the cooperation is scarce water resources, which are heavily connected to climate change. The Kandiu project is in Gichugu sub-county in Kirinyaga County.
“Water is an important topic of our cooperation. We are working with the Kenyan government on various topics. One is climate, and water is heavily connected with climate change. We are working on sustainable economies, and I think all those topics are important when it comes to agriculture,” said Kofler.
The project, which mainly targets small community groups, has seen the German government invest over 3 billion shillings from the first phase up to now in the 3 counties: Kirinyaga, Embu, and Tharaka Nithi. They will extend the projects to Western counties.
“We are working on a corporation where we can support women and women entrepreneurs and female farmers. So the whole project from the first phase until now is 20 million euros; it’s about 3 billion shillings.”
Ms. Kofler added that the projects are contributing a lot to the country’s nutrition and wealth, bringing the whole community ahead economically. She acknowledged the testimonials of group members that they now have money in their pockets, saying they can now think about the future, do business, and contribute more to the whole development of the county.
“I learned what you were telling me—how much easier now! You do not go five kilometres carrying water. You have water in the room now for washing, cooking, cleaning, and everything else you need. We have to do that much more often: listen to the women and see what their needs are; then real development can happen.”
The Principal Secretary, State Department of Irrigation, Ephantus Kimotho, said Small Holder is a programme aimed at assisting communities through irrigation projects because rain-fed agriculture is no longer sustainable. The programme started in 2011 and currently has 24 projects across the country.
“We are now focusing more on irrigation to address the issue of food security. This particular project is unique in that there is cooperation among three parties. The farmers normally contribute 10% as a security; they are given a loan by the bank to the tune of 50%. The other 50% is contributed by the government, which is actually given as a loan by the German government. And also, after that, the county is able to help the farmers with agricultural and extension services.”
The PS added that through these collaborations, there will be enhanced and increased productivity, create jobs, and increase the earnings of the farmers.
Kirinyaga County Deputy Governor David Githanda said the county government will continue providing extension services so that there will be more productivity from what the farmers are doing. Additionally, they will add value through programmes such as Wazesha, which assists mainly women and youth to uplift their standards through various projects.
He noted there are about 112 irrigation schemes, and one of them is by the National Irrigation Authority. The others are community-based, and they are doing a wonderful job.
“Because of this climatic change, we are shifting now, as a county government, from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation.”
Kirinyaga Senator Kamau Murango, who accompanied the delegation, said the Kandiu Project has been a very good example when it comes to how they are running this project, and the visit will help in identifying the gaps where we can help them.
He thanked the Federal Government of Germany for their interventions that ensure that farmers are comfortable and continue to produce.
By Mutai Kipngetich
