A delegation from the Prime Cabinet Secretary’s office led by Head of Government Delivery Services (GDS), Ms. Agnes Odhiambo, has reaffirmed that the Government is committed to ensuring speedy completion of National Government projects, irrespective of when they were initiated.
This was assured when the Head of Government Delivery Services made a visit to Siaya County, where she visited Ugunja on a project field verification exercise to inspect the Lower Nzoia Irrigation Scheme and the Nzoia Bridge, checking the progress on the completion of the Nzoia Bridge and the Siaya-Bondo Water Project.
Accompanying the Head of Government Delivery Services were Siaya County Commissioner Jim Njoka, Government Delivery Services Directors Silvance Osele, Shitati Orlando, Melchyzedek Ochengo, and Brigid Nzioka.
A total of 12,600 registered farmers have so far benefited from irrigation and drainage services in the first phase of The Lower Nzoia Irrigation Project, with 8,400 from Siaya and 4,200 from Busia counties, respectively.
The project, which is 70 per cent funded by the World Bank/IDA and 30 per cent by KfW at a cost of about Sh3.8 billion, commenced in 2018, and the first lot is expected to be completed by September 2023, occupying 2,535 Ha in Siaya and 1,508 Ha in Busia. The whole project, once complete, will bring the total to an estimated 10,000 Ha across the two counties.
According to the engineers in charge of the project, Lot 1 is at 83.3 per completion, and at the time of the visit by the Delivery Service team, most of the works were complete, such as the main canals and aqueduct, with the major remainder being the construction of tertiary canals at 30 per cent completion.
The project is expected to support the cultivation of high-value crops such as fruits and vegetables on about 5,000 acres and rice in rotation with soybeans, maize, and other legumes occupying the remaining 5,000 acres.
The Nzoia Irrigation Scheme is expected to triple the number of farmers and production from approximately 10,000 to 30,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries.
The team later planted trees at Nyadorera Irrigation Scheme offices as per the Presidential Directive to plant 15 billion trees across the Country.
By Calvin Otieno
