The Mountain Journal
The government has allocated Sh140 million to initiate a major irrigation project in Kigumo sub county in Murang’a.
Since 1970’s, the residents, according to James Mworia, have been collecting thousands of shillings to establish the project, which flopped after some villagers failed to honour their pledge.
Mworia said it is a relief as the Mathare ini- Ndonga project will get volumes of water enough for more than 3,000 residents.
” The money raised by the groups started by our parents was not enough and the dream failed to materialise until the government heard our cry and allocated millions to support the community initiative,” said Mworia.
Launching the project, Water and Irrigation Principal Secretary Joseph Wairagu said a survey by experts revealed the importance of the project as it will transform the villages and improve the livelihood of the people.
“ The government is interested in the transformation of the locals, and supports their food security intervention measures,” said Wairagu.
Water Principal Secretary Wairagu Wa Maii last week commissioned the construction which is expected to be completed by the end of the current financial year.
“The project once completed is expected to support horticulture and vegetables farming in the parts of the constituency which currently relies on rain-fed farming,” said the PS who was accompanied by Kigumo MP Wangari Mwaniki and Kahumbu MCA Eric Kamande.
The project, he observed, will directly provide employment to about 3, 000 local residents and create more than 15, 000 indirect jobs.
“ The project is designed to be completed this financial year, as it is the desire of the government as funds have been set aside,” said the PS.
“The irrigation project will cover more than 700 acres and will support horticulture and vegetable farming thus promoting food security and providing employment to thousands of locals,” added the PS.
He said when he launched various water projects in the constituency, Wairagu added that already two irrigation projects have been completed in Murang’a county and farmers are already doing irrigation farming.
We have the Mirichu-Murika project in Kiharu and the Nyanjigi irrigation project in Kangema which are among the old projects and farmers are irrigating their crops and getting returns, he added.
Kigumo MP said the irrigation projects will boost food security as well as help thousands of young people get employed in the agricultural sector.
“The people of Kigumo are a happy lot after several water projects have been implemented by the government. Domestic water connection to local homesteads have increased by a big percentage in the recent past,” she added.
The government is doing projects estimated at Sh10 billion in Murang’a to compensate for the water that will be extracted and transported to Nairobi for city residents.
There are projects on sewerage and construction of dams targeting the fast growing Kenol and Kangari market set to be municipalities.
You can get in touch with our Newdesk through
