NAIROBI-Intense investment in sustainable irrigation will help address the food crisis in the country.
President William Ruto has said the Government has prioritised the construction and expansion of dams to rebuild agriculture. He noted that dams hold immense power to stimulate food production as it cuts over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture.
“If we produce more food, it means more earnings for our farmers and more jobs for our youth,” said the President.
He was speaking on Thursday in Fulugani, Kwale County, during the ground-breaking of the construction of Mwache Dam. Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi, Water CS Alice Wahome, Public Service CS Aisha Jumwa, Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs CS Salim Mvurya, Governors Fatuma Achani (Kwale), Abdullswamad Nassir (Mombasa) and Andrew Mwadime (Taita Taveta) among other leaders.
Set to be completed in August 2026, the Sh18 Billion project will provide water to irrigate at least 7,000 acres of land in Kwale, producing Sh1.3 Billion worth of food a year.
President Ruto said the dam will supply more than 230 Million litres of water a day for both irrigation and domestic use.
“This will benefit at least 1.6 Million people in Kwale and Mombasa Counties.” The number is expected to go up to 2 million by 2030.
The Government plans to build 100 large and 1,000 small dams, thereby increasing the acreage under irrigation from the current 670,000 to 3 million.
“Irrigation is the most transformational intervention we can undertake in agriculture.” Governor Achani said they were focussed on delivering on their pre-election promises. “We will not engage in sideshows like the recent protests; they add no value in the lives of the people.”