Kenyan irrigation scheme set for rehabilitation

The economic and social fortunes of communities neighbouring Bura Irrigation Scheme in Kenya's Tana River District could improve if efforts to rehabilitate the facility at a cost of Sh4 billion ($60 million) come to fruition.

A group of Gulf development partners, including the Kuwait Fund for International Development, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) have pledged to fund the project.

The work includes the construction of a gravity flow diversion and conveyance system that would supply irrigation water to 5,500 hectares within the scheme by 2014.

A Government report on the planned development of the Bura scheme said Request for Proposal documents for engineering services had been forwarded to the Kuwait fund for comments in preparation for short listing of consultants. Last month, the State also advertised for expression of interest for designs of the planned project.

“The engineering services are likely to take nine months followed by a construction period of 48 months,” said the report prepared by the National Irrigation Board (NIB).

Only 2,500 hectares of land at the scheme can currently be put under irrigation because of infrastructural constraints, including pumping facilities. The planned project envisages to change this by introducing more elaborate gravity-based systems that would entail putting up diversion structures across River Tana, which flows through the area.

Analysts say the gravity flow concept would boost operations at the scheme in that its management and farmers would cut down on costs of running pumps to pass water through irrigation canals. With soaring costs of petroleum products, extensive use of pumps to drive water through channels is viewed as uneconomical. Bura area is not connected to the national electric power grid, while officials at the scheme use diesel to run water pumps.

“The gravity flow system is the way of the future because it greatly reduces the budget on energy, with saving going towards boosting other areas of production. Besides, it helps in cutting back carbon foot prints that are generated through fossil fuels that are used to run pumps,” said Prof David Mungai, a consultant in land use hydrology.

Feasibility studies are currently under way to also introduce the gravity flow system at the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in western Kenya, where farmers have cried foul over huge overhead costs when settling electricity bills. This financial year the Government allocated Sh60 million ($900,000) to be spent in rehabilitating infrastructure, buying excavation equipment and expanding model farming within the scheme.

Up to 500 acres is set to be cropped with maize, ground nuts, water melons, soya beans and vegetable by December, with farmers expected to pay for maintenance and operation costs from the sale of farm produce.

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