By Nicholas Anyuor
Samuel Okeyo, a father of 12, has been a farmer for seven years.
However, he can barely feed his children and two wives despite days of toil in his five-acre farm in Kogembo village in Homa Bay County.
He has tried vegetable, maize and sorghum farming to no avail. Usually, the rains fail, bringing his toil to nothing.
"I was not lucky to work in the office," he said. "The land is my office. With the help of my wives and the children, we work in the farm for a living," Okeyo said.
He added: "But most seasons, the rains do not come."
This is the fate of many farmers in Rachuonyo North and Homa Bay districts.
However, with the introduction of a massive irrigation project in the area, farmers such as Okeyo expect better days ahead.
The Kimira-Oluch Smallholder Farm Improvement Project will ensure there is continuous flow of water for irrigation all year round. The project targets 3,000 households in both districts.
It is hoped after completion in 2012, about 400,000 people will benefit as farmers or traders. Some 1,474 hectares will be put under irrigation.
Work has started in earnest, with Chinese contractor Sino-Hydro Company, partnering with a local contractor, Machiri Company.
Water is being tapped from River Kibuon and River Tende. The project comprises two schemes, Oluch and Kimira.
POVERTY LEVELS
According to the Project’s Manager Mr Nelson Korir, research carried out by the Government in 1983 and 1988 showed the two districts were leading in poverty levels in Nyanza Province. This is when the project was first mooted.
"Agricultural yields were also found to be too low," said Korir.
A total of Sh3.147 billion will be spent, which include a contribution by the Government and a grant from the Africa Development Fund.
By reducing poverty, the project will have a major impact on many aspects of people’s lives. High poverty levels in the area have led to a rising school drop out rate.
Children drop out in droves to work and eke a living for their families.
Girls are more vulnerable as they end up involving themselves in sexual immorality, leading to early pregnancies, the spread of HIV/Aids and early marriages.
By empowering residents, the project, which falls under the Ministry of Regional Development Authorities, will address these issues.
However, the poverty in Nyanza has also been attributed to poor leadership and political isolation. Some economists hold that the cotton industry, which used to earn the region millions of shillings in the 1980s, was deliberately destroyed.
The project’s senior agronomist, Mr Amos Amenya, said a major increase in yields is expected since the soils are fertile. This will improve livelihoods.
"The main reason poverty is a serious issue in this region is that farmers have been relying on rains. However, they have been unreliable," he said.
Farmers have been advised to grow both food and cash crops. This is through the establishment of the farmers’ field schools. Residents are also being taught entrepreneurial skills.
"However, we shall start with the crops the farmers are used to such as maize and sorghum. We’ll then introduce horticultural crops such as cabbages, tomatoes and onions," said Amenya.
A resident, Mr Shem Ouko Modi, said flooding is one of the worst problems residents have been facing.
He said whenever flash floods hit, farmers are left destitute. Modi is also the assistant secretary of Oluch Irrigation Water Users Association.
"Here, the floods are dangerous. We hope they’ll be controlled," he said.
A monitoring and evaluation specialist, Ms Pamela Ndeda, confirmed although the area has poor rains, it is occasionally hit by flooding.
When this happens, the rivers burst their banks, leading to the destruction of crops. Farmers are also displaced.
To deal with the issue, the project has a conservation element that is aimed at reducing flooding and soil erosion. This will also ensure the quality of the soil is maintained.
She said the project is liaising with environmental conservation stakeholders.
"We are going to partner with Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, the Lake Basin Development Authority and the Kenya Forestry Service to ensure our efforts are successful," she said.
DOUBLE TRAGEDY
The Chairman of Kimira Irrigation Water Users Association, Mr James Mboya, said farmers were happy with the project and were supporting it. He added they hope to use and share the resource in a sustainable way.
However, some farmers who have tried cultivating their land and fishing have experienced a double tragedy.
Take Joel Okuku, for example.
"Whenever I go to Lake Victoria to fish, I expect to improve life for myself and my seven children. But I always come back to find there is nothing in the farm," he said.
He said fishing has become unreliable due to poor prices, and it is also difficult to make a significant catch.
