In Kenya, the authorities are launching an operation to support the populations of Nyandarua County to facilitate their water supply and promote sustainable agriculture. The initiative, which comes at a time of economic crisis, aims to boost economic recovery through the implementation of critical projects.
At a time when most parts of Kenya have been hit by prolonged drought, several farmers’ groups have just received tool kits from the government to start vegetable gardening activities to enhance food security in Nyandarua County.
In addition to this support, the Kenyan government has launched the Kagongo Wendani Irrigation Project in Weru Ward, which will serve over 800 households. This initiative is funded by the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture under the Small-Scale Irrigation and Value Addition Project (SIVAP).
Another project initiated is the “One Million Kitchen Gardens Plan” which targets households and schools throughout the county. The operation is part of the economic recovery strategy to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 and increase people’s income.
According to Kenya’s Minister of Agriculture Peter Munya, “the government is also committed to reintroducing 4-k clubs in schools where learners will also be trained in modern agricultural technologies to guard against food insecurity. Raising rabbits, chickens, goats and horticultural crops will be the agricultural practices taught to students, but also a source of income for their schools.
Improving the water supply
Since 2020, Nyandarua County has already benefited from government investment in water projects to the tune of 3.6 billion Kenyan shillings (about $32 million). The government does not intend to stop there. “The state has initiated a feasibility study on a water project to be launched in Ndaragwa constituency and the only thing left to do is to design and finance the project to serve the residents of Nyandarua, Laikipia and Nyeri counties,” says Minister Peter Munya.
Read also- KENYA: New irrigation system serves 457 farmers’ homes in Murang’a
Under the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP), the East African government has implemented an irrigation system in Murang’a County in west-central Kenya. Water pumped from the Maragua River is channelled through 14 kilometers of pipes to serve 457 households, including farming households. Thanks to this investment financed by the World Bank to the tune of $976,000, each beneficiary household has a 100 m3 basin to store excess water that it can use for three months.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
