4,000 families to benefit from Sh1.2b water projects

Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Sicily Kariuki during the Senate Committee in Water and Sanitation workshop at Serena Hotel in Mombasa County on Wednesday 16, June 2021. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

The government is undertaking Sh1.2 billion water projects in the county.

Some 4,000 households will benefit from the 40 projects under the National Irrigation Authority.

According to the Water Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki, the programme involves desilting of old dams, drilling boreholes, establishing irrigation schemes and digging water pans.

The projects aim to improve agribusiness and provide clean drinking water in the county considered one of the country’s food baskets.

“This is part of a long-lasting solution to water problems in the county. It is one of the counties deemed to be developed, but this is not the case. That is why we have set aside the funds to end this problem once and for all,” she said.

Ms Kariuki noted that once the projects are complete, farmers will be trained on irrigation and agribusiness.

“It is the high time farmers stopped relying on old methods of farming,” said the CS after touring several water projects in Ol Kalou Constituency yesterday.

She launched a Sh29.7 million project to desilt the Githunguri Cascading Earth Dam in Rurii, which targets 66 households and with the potential to irrigate 66 acres of land.

She also commissioned the Sh10.6 million Kianduba borehole and Sh12.3 million Theuri borehole irrigation water project in Kaimbaga ward.

Also commissioned was Kagaa community borehole in Karau, targeting 500 families. She directed the contractor at the Kagaa irrigation borehole to finish works by the end of the year.