Private interests vs public good in Galana row

Galana Kulalu irrigation scheme is one of the Jubilee government’s most-ambitious projects that if implemented well can become a model in Africa.

The project is planned to cover a million acres for food production, which will be a major boost for food security. In fact, according to projections, Galana can feed the whole country and leave surplus maize for export. Yet, while still taking its baby steps, it is already running into headwinds. The latest revelation by a Parliamentary committee that the project be suspended is the strongest yet opposition to face Galana Kulalu irrigation scheme.

The project has not delivered the promise within the last two years but that doesn’t mean it should be condemned as a fail. Feasibility studies have indicated that the available water from the river Galana has a capacity to irrigate 500,000 acres when it is dammed, which is only half of its targeted capacity. Being a new project, it is bound to face a few challenges here and there which, once sorted, will see it go full steam.

Konza City faces similar funding and logistical challenges, and so does the Standard Gauge Railway. But that doesn’t make their aspirations irrelevant. Konza and SGR will eventually play their intended roles and improve the economy. That’s why Galana should be left to live its full life.

The National Irrigation Board (NIB), in spite of all these challenges, had already established 1,000 acres of the model farm from scratch which was put under maize. While the harvest of an average 17 bags from the 13 varieties of maize planted per acre fell below the targeted 40. This should be taken as an experiment which should be built upon to improve the yields. One would imagine that NIB and other stakeholders are studying these yields to establish the right seed varieties and fertilisers for the region.

Galana Kulalu is a vision 2030 project and has a well thought-out plan that the government has invested billions in. No one, including MPs, should just wake up one day and say it should be stopped. An evaluation of the project is a great idea so weaknesses and loopholes can be identified and fixed.

Kenya has an annual deficit of 10 million bags and 100,000 acres of land under maize would be enough to bridge the deficit and thus cut imports. It won’t be all maize production, as Galana comes with value-addition. The Galana project will include a milling and storage facility to process and package flour. This will increase revenues and create over 900 jobs.

Galana is a public-private partnership programme where the government provides irrigation infrastructure while private investors plant crops. Under this model, it’s not easy to take shortcuts or compromise processes. The biggest mistake our leaders are making is mixing private interests and the public economics of maize. It’s not hard to estimate the impact of a successful Galana irrigation project.

First, and this is one of its main objectives, it will eliminate importation of maize. It’s an open secret that maize importation remains a lucrative business for prominent people in this society. If Galana works, they are out of business.

Secondly, production of maize at Galana will shift food production from the vast Rift Valley region, which has been Kenya’s grain basket since pre-independence to Coast. But the truth is that the project will bridge the deficit and drive down prices and push middlemen out of the market.

Galana can have three crops in a year, although experts have advised that only two crops should be grown. In this case therefore the production per acre per year is 79-80 bags. This is better than any place in Kenya. It is this high production that makes people in maize producing areas to fight the project. Given the fact that the area under maize in the traditional maize growing areas is dwindling, do we as a country want to rely on importation? This is the hard reality that we must face as we condemn Galana.

—Henry Kiplagat is an agricultural economist based in Nairobi.