Is Galana-Kulalu irrigation secure with private developers?

A drip irrigation and greenhouse technology farm in Israel that uses modern dry-land technology to enhance agricultural production. The President was on a tour of the area as part of his Government's efforts to learn more about automated agriculture in a bid to enhance irrigation farming in Kenya through the Galana-Kulalu food security project. [PHOTO | JOHN MUCHUCHA]

The Government, through the National Irrigation Board (NIB),  is right to hand part of the Galana-Kulalu irrigation scheme - 20,000 acres - to private developers. Initially, NIB could only manage to do with 5,000 to 10,000 acres and it is a good thing that of the one million acres targeted, we can now have more land in use.

Another thing is that private developers will do their best to produce because they have contracts that bind them to what the Government wants them to produce for Kenyans. Third, when we talk Galana-Kulalu, we are talking major farming project and it can only be prudent that Government involves experts so that they make maximum use of land and ensure Unga is at out tables at a rate of Sh75 per 2-kilogram packet as promised.