Government plans major dams and irrigation expansion to support farming – Water CS Mugaa
The government needed Italian assistance to secure a project replacement because the findings of due diligence in Italy did not meet their expectations
Cabinet Secretary for Water and Sanitation Eng. Eric Mugaa. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
The government intends to construct substantial dams together with expanded irrigation systems to assist agricultural production according to Water CS Mugaa. Water Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eng Eric Mugaa introduced various government initiatives which aim to enhance water distribution throughout the country to support agricultural development.
Mugaa announced during the government podcast *Bonga Na Gava* that the state will focus on building large dams which will improve irrigation systems to protect farmers from unpredictable weather conditions.
Mugaa explained that rainy weather patterns have become less reliable for farmers who traditionally depend on rain-fed farming to schedule their planting activities. Mugaa explained that farmers face planning difficulties because random rain events like the February rains disrupt weather predictions which should help them decide their planting times.
He proposed that farmers should adopt irrigation farming systems which will enable them to grow food all year round without depending on rainfall. The ministry will use National Infrastructure Fund NIF resources to finance these projects which will decrease their need for National Treasury direct funding.
He explained that public assets serve as the base from which public entities create new infrastructure projects. The Mugaa funding model permits governmental systems to transition from exchequer support to sustainable funding methods.
He said the NIF will advance mega-dam projects through its Public-Private Partnership PPP funding system which draws private financiers for projects that offer profitable returns. The government will help bridge water service facility financing needs because water service facilities depend on WASREB-controlled tariff costs for their business model.
The Itare Dam project in Nakuru County currently needs a new contractor who will complete the KSh38 billion allocated work according to Mugaa. The government needs to find an Italian contractor who will take over work on the stalled project.
The assessment of the previous contractor’s proposal led to a request for further information from the contractor. .The government needed Italian assistance to secure a project replacement because the findings of due diligence in Italy did not meet their expectations
About Author
