Kimotho: Gwa Kiongo dam project to transform Nyandarua farming

 Irrigation Principal Secreatary Ephantus Kimotho. [Courtesy]

The government has renewed its commitment to expand irrigation infrastructure in Nyandarua County to boost food security and rural incomes, Irrigation Principal Secreatary Ephantus Kimotho has said.

Kimotho spoke on Tuesday, June 7, during an inspection of the Gwa Kiongo Irrigation Project in Mirangine Ward, Ol Kalou, on the potential of the scheme to enable year-round farming in the region.

The project will be rolled out in two phases, each bringing 250 acres under irrigation, for a total of 500 acres once complete.

More than 1,000 farmers stand to benefit from a piping network that officials say will allow up to three cropping seasons a year.

Kimotho noted that reliable irrigation would lift production of high-value crops, raise household incomes and cut reliance on rain-fed farming, while building resilience against climate change.

He added that higher output would strengthen links to local and international markets, opening opportunities for agro-processing and food exports.

The inspection drew a multi-sectoral government team, among them Principal Secretary for the Blue Economy Betsy Njagi, Principal Secretary for Energy Alex Wachira and former senior economic adviser Moses Kuria.

As part of efforts to diversify livelihoods around the dam, officials distributed 20,000 fish fingerlings and feed to local farmers to promote aquaculture, an initiative they said would create extra income streams and jobs for youth and women.

Kimotho said the State Department for Irrigation had identified more than 150 former colonial-era dams across Nyandarua County for rehabilitation, part of a wider push to expand water storage for irrigation, livestock and aquaculture.

"The Government remains committed to investing in strategic irrigation infrastructure as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth," said Kimotho.