Gov’t to proceed with controversial Galana irrigation scheme- Wamalwa

Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa has said the government will proceed with the second season of planting in the 500,000 acre Galana-Kulalu irrigation scheme, despite feasibility issues being raised about the 14.5 billion shillings project.

Wamalwa said a Cabinet team formed to look into audit queries raised about the project by MPs and the Auditor General is addressing the concerns but his Ministry is overseeing planting of a better seed variety to ensure maximum yield per acre.

The CS intimated his Ministry is working to improve the country’s food security, and is partnering with all counties to build dams and launch long term irrigation schemes, promising results in two years.

In early December, the National Assembly’s Agriculture Committee wanted the Sh14 billion Galana Kulalu Irrigation Scheme in Tana River to be suspended.

The Members of Parliament said officials that were concerned with procuring viability studies of the project should be investigated on what led to the commissioning of the project.

The committee said the project has been a waste of taxpayers’ funds and it should be suspended and the officials investigated for the loss of public funds.

The ministry officials said the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) should scrutinize the thrashing of over Ksh 100 million, after the cost of a feasibility study awarded to an Israeli firm was alleged to have risen from Ksh 793 million to Ksh 923 million.

The initiative to introduce the project meant to improve food production by switching from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation.

The government was set to irrigate one million acres of arid land for a productive farming.