History of the Scheme

Bura pump station

The development of the lower Tana Basin through development of irrigated agriculture became inevitable due to rapid increase of the country’s population since the 1950s and considering the fact that 80% of Kenya’s land area is arid or semi-arid. It is therefore with this consideration that several studies were carried out in the lower Tana Basin that culminated in the World Bank’s Appraisal Report of 1977 and conception of Bura Irrigation and Settlement Project.

The project is situated along the Tana River in Tana River District, Coast Province. It is 50km North of Hola Town about 400 kilometres North-West of Mombassa Town. The construction of BISP started in 1978 and was funded by the World Bank, ODA, EEC, UNDP, Finnish Government, the Netherlands and the Government of Kenya. The Project was set up with the following objectives:

1. Settling the landless, unemployed or the under-employed. About 5,150 families would be settled in Phase I and about 3,000 families in Phase II
2. Increasing food and cash crop production to ensure food sufficiency and save foreign exchange
3. Creating employment and increasing the income of the community settled in the project
4. Opening up arid and semi-arid regions by providing water. About 6,700 hectares would be opened up in Phase I and another 5,000 hectares in Phase II and
5. Improving and rehabilitating the environment by planting trees to provide fuel wool and building materials for the Scheme’s population and its surroundings. The target of the area to be afforested would be 4,500 hectares.

The scheme operations stalled in the 1999/2000 cropping season due to depletion of the revolving funds following the 1998 Mwea crisis. The RRI (Rapid Results Initiative was launched in Nakuru on 20th July 2004 when 80% of the 133 farmers were expected to be provided with water for irrigation i.e. by 30th October 2004.

Scheme objectives:

History of the Scheme

Senior Manager of Mwea Scheme

Mwea Irrigation Scheme is situated in Kirinyaga district, in Central province of Kenya. The Scheme is about 100 Km South East of Nairobi. Farming in the scheme started in 1956, rice has been the predominant crop in the scheme. The scheme has a gazetted area of 30,350 acres. A total of 16,000 acres has been developed for paddy production. The rest of the scheme is used for settlement, public utilities, subsistence and horticultural crops farming. The scheme is served by two main rivers VIZ Nyamindi and Thiba rivers. Irrigation water is abstracted from the rivers by gravity by the help of fixed intake weirs, conveyed and distributed in the scheme via unlined open channels. There is a link canal joining the two rivers which transfers water from Nyamindi to Thiba River which serves about 80% of the scheme. Land tenure is on tenancy basis. Since inception till 1998 the scheme was being run by various government agencies. In 1998, the scheme management was taken over by a Mwea Rice Farmer’s cooperative society MRGM. However, the farmers realized that they could not go it alone due to:

• Unskilled personnel
• Lack of finances
• Lack of machinery for scheme maintenance.

During this brief period when scheme was run by cooperative the infrastructure deteriorated and tail enders could not crop. In 2003, the farmers approached the government for assistance in the scheme management.

Perkerra Irrigation Scheme is situated 100kms North of Nakuru near Marigat Township in Baringo District. It derived its name from the Perkerra River, which is the source of Irrigation Water and the only permanent river in the District. The Scheme is therefore in ASAL areas. (Arid and Semi Arid Lands). The construction of the Scheme started in 1954 after several feasibility studies, which showed that the Jemps flats were suitable for Irrigation. During the Emergency period, the detainees provide labour for construction purposes. The Scheme has a potential area for Irrigation of 5800 Acres (2340 ha). Due to Irrigation water shortages only 1500 Acres (607 ha) is cropped annually out of the 2000 Acres (810 ha) developed for gravity furrow Irrigation. The Scheme assumed a Horticultural production from the onset and was a major source of bulbed Onions, Dried Chillies, Watermelon, Pawpaws for Papaya wine making and Cotton in the past. However due to the Marketing problems of the above crops Seed Maize crop was introduced in 1996 as a diversification measure. The Seed Maize Crop is planted under a Growing Agreement/Contract with Kenya Seed Company Ltd. With assured market, better and prompt payments, the Seed Maize crop became a turning point for crop production in the Scheme. The Scheme has 672 farm house hold each with 3 to 4 acres of farm land.

History of the Scheme
Hola (Tana) Irrigation and Settlement Scheme is amongst the oldest NIB Schemes having been started in 1953 by the Colonial Government as a holding camp for detainee labour. The Scheme is located in Tana River District in the Coast Province. Its gazetted area is 4800 ha but the already developed are for farming purpose was only 900ha. This pump fed/gravity irrigated Scheme with most of the pumps mounted is a floating pontoon unit. The Scheme has 700 farming families settled in 6 villages. The main (cash) crop grown was cotton with other crops i.e. groundnuts, maize intercropped with cowpeas being grown in small scale as subsistence food crops for farmers. Agricultural activities stopped way back in 1989 when river Tana (our main source of water) naturally changed course at the Laini water intake point thus leaving the Scheme without water for irrigation purposes.

Launch of the West Kano scheme

The scheme operations stalled in the 1999/2000 cropping season due to depletion of the revolving funds following the 1998 Mwea crisis. The scheme was revived in the year 2003. The Phase One Crop covered 1158 out of the total 2229 acres, yielding 1615 tonnes of paddy worth KShs 42 million shillings. The Phase Two crop targeted the entire 2229 acres, of which 915 acres had been cropped before production was suspended to allow for installation of the new pumps. This yielded 1276 tonnes of paddy worth Kshs.33million

Introduction

MIAD officer in charge

MIAD Centre was established 1991 and 1996 through a Technical Cooperation program between the Governments of Kenya and the Government of Japan. Since the end of the Technical Cooperation period the Centre has been under the National Irrigation Board management. It has been established that unit rice yields in Mwea have declined over years as a result of soil exhaustion and overdependence on inorganic fertilizers. Soil fertility has generally declined due to land use practices that include continuous cultivation, nutrient extraction through crop harvest and inadequate nutrient replacement. Consequently, rice output in Kenya has decreased and does not meet demand (285,000t). The deficit (200,000t) is met by importing rice resulting to loss in foreign exchange currency. Importation of fertilizers as well as Soya beans adds to this loss hence locking up rice farmers in a vicious cycle of poverty. The scenario is further aggravated by presence of water borne diseases, among which, malaria is identified as the most serious problem followed by typhoid and Bilharzias in irrigated farming. Continuous presences of water on the ground in rice double crop system provide bleeding habitat for malaria vector and other water borne diseases besides deteriorating soil fertility. The ultimate high medical bills drain the hard gotten rice generated income.

Vision of MIAD
To be the leading institution in the development of efficient agricultural irrigation and drainage technologies in Kenya through research and training programs

Mission of MIAD
Conduct irrigated agricultural research and training to develop and transfer technologies for sustainable exploitation of available irrigation and drainage potential in Kenya for food security and creation of wealth and employment.

Main Objectives

• To conduct research with a view to increasing crop yields and quality.
• Develop technology to increase utilization of available resources through crop intensification and diversification
• Conduct research with a view to reducing various crop production cost
• Increase water use efficiency
• Search for ways and means of improving farmers health
• Capacity building in irrigated agricultural water management.

History of the Scheme

Ahero scheme

The scheme operations stalled in the 1999/2000 cropping season due to depletion of the revolving funds following the Mwea crisis. The Ministry of Agriculture/ FAO revived the scheme using the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) following the donation of two new water pumps at a cost of Kshs 20 Million. The commissioning of the rehabilitated Ahero Irrigation Scheme was held on the 14th July 2005 presided by the then Minister for Water and Irrigation; Hon. Martha Karua. Ministry of Water and Irrigation funded the installation of two additional flood lift pumps at a cost of Kshs 25 million. The reasons:

To adapt to the Government Policy on liberalization, National irrigation Board underwent restructuring in the year 2002 and is now in the process of stabilization.The scheme became operational in July 2005 under the management of National Irrigation Board.

For sustainable, reliable, and cost effective provision of irrigation and drainage services in the scheme, National Irrigation Board has engaged CODA consultants services to explore the possibility of Gravity flow diversion and conveyance facilities.

Through sustainable exploitation of available irrigation potential, National Irrigation Board has embarked on an expansion programme with a target of 500 acres in the financial year 2006/7 (Kasiru-Kolal-Mbega).

The scheme has benefited as a result of the Government policy to support irrigation development as stipulated in the 9th National Development Plan for 2002 – 2008 and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for 2001 – 2004 through provision of development funds for procurement of new pumps, heavy machinery and expansion.

Scheme objectives

1. Optimal utilization of available land and water resources
2. Attainment of food self sufficiency and security
3. Improvement of income generation
4. Creation of wealth and employment
5. Promotion of participatory irrigation management for sustainable production and growth
6. Sustainable supply of raw materials for Agro-based industries

Tasks Accomplished

• Installation of two new inclined tsunami water pumps and two vertical flood lift pumps.
• 50% Rehabilitation of water conveyance and control structures
• Successful divesture of NIB from land preparation services, credit and input provision to the farmer and marketing.
• Formation and training of Water User Associations on participatory irrigation management
• Formation of Farmers Cooperative society.