Irrigation project: Siaya leaders urged to settle land compensation row

The National Irrigation Authority (NIA) has asked Siaya leadership to help unlock the political stalemate that has engulfed the Lower Nzoia Irrigation project since 2018 or else the region will lose it in the next 90 days.

The Sh5.3 billion Lower Nzoia Irrigation Development Project and Improvement of flood mitigation kicked off in 2018.

The proposed project entails improvement of about 34km of flood mitigation dykes in the lower Nzoia River and development of infrastructure for irrigating an area estimated at 4,000 hectares,” he said.

The project entails dyke rehabilitation at a cost of Sh1.4 billion and irrigation at a cost of Sh3.8 billion.

According to NIA Chief Operations Officer Joel Tanui, politics on the land compensation had derailed the project for years and the key donor – World Bank –  had directed the authorities involved to ensure residents gets water to irrigate their crops in the next 90 days.

The implementation of the project kicked off in 2018 and it has dragged and now we only have three months to have it operational or the chapter gets closed,” said Tanui adding that even the “donor and the residents whose lands were marked for the project are equally tired”.

 Tanui spoke during the Annual General Meeting of Usonga rice farmers in Usonga ward where he urged farmers to embrace the project for the benefit of locals and Siaya County at large.

“We have also made Sh100 million proposal to the KFW-the German Development Bank for facilitating the establishment of the rice mills and we have prioritised Usonga rice farmers to benefit from it so once its approved. Resources will be released for the project,” said Tanui.