Kirinyaga County Government in
collaboration with the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) has started the
rehabilitation of Mwea Irrigation Scheme roads targeting to cover 120
kilometers in one month.
the County Chief Officer for Roads, Transport and Public Works, John Makumi,
who represented Governor Anne Waiguru said that the roads program was aimed at
easing the farmers’ burden of transporting their produce to the markets.
Kirinyaga County Chief officer for Roads hands over road construction machinery keys to the Mwea Irrigation Scheme Manager, Innocent Ariemba.
He
said that the county government had handed over seven 20ton trucks, two motor
graders, two rollers, two excavators and a water bowser to NIA which will
oversee the implementation of the project within the scheme. He said that the
County Government was ready to give more equipment should the need arise.
The Mwea Irrigation Scheme Manager
Innocent Ariemba thanked the county government for the partnership. He said
that while the County Government had given out the machinery, NIA would cater
for fuel and oversee the work to ensure it is done within the stipulated
standards and time.
Tebere, Gudson Muchina, lauded the partnership and said that the after NIA
finishes the first phase of the program, the County Government will fund the subsequent phase that will cover the remaining roads.
since, as much as NIA has distributed water throughout the scheme and offered
enough extension services, the roads within the schemes had remained a major
challenge contributing to increased cost of rice production” said the MCA.
Association, Morris Mutugi, said that the farmers were happy that the County
Government and NIA had come to their rescue. He said that the program will
ensure that the works are spread in all the wards across the scheme.
“This is a new beginning for Mwea rice
farmers who have been incurring a lot of money on transporting rice from the
farms to the mills”. He said, adding that transporting one sack of rice has
been costing farmers Ksh. 300 but when the roads are improved, it will only
cost Ksh.100 thereby reducing the cost of production.
scheme is part of a program by the county government to murram six kilometers
of roads per ward per week on a rotational basis. The program was developed by
a multisectoral committee formed between the county executive and the county
assembly to accelerate the improvement of rural access roads across the county.
Mobile Phone
(SMS)0719-889-925
