Water pans give locals in arid areas a relief

Residents of Ithanga in lower Gatanga have been relying on relief food every time a dry spell strikes.

 This area is one of the relatively dry parts in Murang’a which receive minimal rainfall leading to massive crop failure leaving the resident to grapple with food shortage.

 However, help has come for the residents after the ministry of water through the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) dug water pans for them enabling them to do farming throughout the year.  

 About 300 residents have benefited from the program and they are gradually turning the area into a food basket both for the locals and the larger Murang’a.

 Chris Nzioka is one of the beneficiaries of this program and for the past two years he has been farming, the rewards have been impressive.

 Nzioka, has been a sand harvester for a couple of years, a job he said was not rewarding but he abandoned it to go to the farm after he got the water pan. 

 On his parcel of land he has been growing maize, capsicum, cabbages, tree tomatoes, paw paws, maize and bananas.

 He said he opted for mixed farming to ensure he has something on the farm throughout the year as the maturity period for the crops vary. 

 He said previously he used to rely on rainfed agriculture but he became frustrated due to poor production forcing him to go to the sand mines. 

 "I was growing maize but the harvest was poor due to inadequate rainfall, there wasn't enough even to feed my family" he said. 

 The land that was lying idle has now been fully utilized and he is able to generate money out of it. 

 "With the water pan I am able to farm throughout the year unlike before when I had to wait for the rain season" said Nzioka. 

 “For the maize I sell them when they are still green as they bring more money than when they are dry” he added. 

 James Kang’oru is another beneficiary of this program and has been farming traditional vegetables such as managu, terere, spinach, kales, cabbages and french beans. 

 He said the area despite being dry can be very productive when there is adequate water for farming.

 Lack of employment had pushed him to indulge into alcoholism and eating miraa but his life has changed for the better.

 He opted to do vegetables because they mature within a short period of time and thus generating quick cash.

 “We harvest twice a week and take the vegetables to the market and there are some clients who get them from the farm” he said.

 Margaret Wahu has for a long time been farming maize but she became frustrated when due to poor production.

 When she had the water pan dug in her farm, she opted to grow tomatoes as the main crop and the results have been impressive.

 Wahu said shifting from rain fed agriculture to irrigation has helped in ensuring continuous farming throughout the year but she is keen to observe the market trend to avoid harvesting her produce when there is a surplus supply

 “I have done tomatoes for three seasons now and they have given me good returns” she said.

 She however says the high cost of farm inputs has been a major challenge as it eats into the profit. 

 Wahu says she would like to install a drip irrigation system into her farm but its cost is too high. 

 "I usually pump water from the pan and this is expensive because of the fuel and at times I hire people to water the plants" she added. 

 Gatanga MP Ngugi Nduati said the water pans have helped transform the area and the locals no longer require relief food.

 He said the pans are being dug for free thus saving the residents approximately Sh300, 000 required to do a single pan.

 The pans, he said are part of the bigger project by the national government to provide water for irrigation for the locals.

 "This goes in line with the government’s agenda to improve food security in the country by boosting food production" he remarked. 

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