Coast MPs vow to evict private developer at Galana Kulalu

A row has erupted over the proposed privatization of the controversial 1.7 million acre Galana Kulalu irrigation project after the Coast MPs vowed to evict the would be private developer.

Over 10 MPs from Kilifi, Tana River, Mombasa and Kwale counties yesterday said the land should be reverted back to the locals saying planned privatize was a testimony that the project had failed.

They now want the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Auditor General to institute a probe to determine how much money the taxpayer has lost since the inception of the project.

“We will move to court to stop it and if that fails we will mobile our people to eject any private investor that come there,” said Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki on Friday.

On Wednesday, the government announced that it will hand over 20,000 acres of the Galana/Kulalu project to private firms to increase the acreage under maize.

According to Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa the private firms and the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) would plant the maize March, this year.

Garsen Mp Ali Wario, in whose constituency the project is, largely, situated, said the locals will not allow “the privatization of an acre” of the land saying it should be reverted back to pastoralists who were displaced to pave way for the project.

“We have Hola and Bura irrigation scheme which have collapsed and the government is not keen to revive them. It is clear the obsession for Galana Kulala is a ploy to grab the land,” said Wario.

He said the government should first explain why the project has failed to deliver projected yields despite the fact that it had sank over Sh.20 billion into the project.

“Agriculture is a devolved function. The project should be handed over to Tana River and Kilifi Counties to manage,” said Ganze constituency Mp Mr. Teddy Mwambire.

The Galana/Kulalu Food Security Project located in in Kilifi and Tana River counties is one of the government’s mega project under vision 2030 seen as key to food security in the country.

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi also wants the national Government to relinquish the multi-billion irrigation scheme Kilifi and Tana county governments.

“(The) National Government has been unable to raise food production despite sinking billions onto the scheme. Agriculture is a devolved function,” said Kingi in a recent interview.

Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) chairman and Msambweni Mp Suleiman Dori said all coast MPs oppose the privatization regardless of their party affiliation.

“This is a matter that we have unanimously agreed that we will not allow. Land is a very sensitive issues at the Coast and cannot be handled is such a casual manner,” he said.

Galole MP Said Buya Hiribae said it was clear that the Galana Kulalu project is not viable and the land should be reverted to locals who were displaced from the area.

“The decision (privatization) should be rescinded. The process is shrouded in mystery and one can say it is a ploy to sell of community land to a private developer,” said Buya.

Matuga Mp Kassim Tandaza criticized the national government saying the Sh.20 billion that has since been spent on the project should have been spent to revive of cash crops at the Coast.

“Why experiment when it (national Government) could have pumped the cash to say coconut or cashew nut sectors which are the main cash crops in the region,” said Tandaza.

The Galana/Kulalu project one-million-acre Galana/Kulalu food security project, billed as the country’s long wait solution or fixer of food insecurity.

According to the Jubilee government the Sh.400 billion flagship project would move the country from the unreliable rain fed agriculture to irrigation and boost food stocks to ease souring cost of living in the country.

The government plans to utilize the one million acres land as follows; 500,000 acres of land under maize production, 150,000 acres on beef and game animals, 50,000 acres for dairy farming, 200,000 acres under sugarcane farming, 50,000 acres under horticulture, and the remaining 50,000 acres to grow fruits.

In 2014, the Government signed a Sh14.5 billion deal between the National Irrigation Board (NIB) and an Israeli firm, Green Arava (GA), to fast track the setting up of the model farm.

The project has, however, steered off the course since its launch forcing the Government to postpone the planting on the 10,000-acre pilot land up to three times.

Piloting was scheduled to start in October, 2014 but it was postponed to January this year but again deferred April this year.

Other than the financial hitch, local political leaders have also accused the national government for sidelining county governments and residents of Kilifi and Tana River counties in the project.

Only 5,000 acres, out of the one million, have been exploited but the Jubilee regime says the privatization was among the step to fast track the completion of the remaining 4,400 acres.