West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin yesterday led a consultative meeting with officials from the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) ahead of a public participation forum on the proposed Lower Turkwel Irrigation Project scheduled for Thursday.
The meeting, held at the official Governor’s residence, focused on coordination and preparedness as the county moves to implement the irrigation scheme in line with President Dr. William Ruto’s directive to develop the project as a key intervention for food security and economic growth in the region.
Kachapin reiterated the need for close collaborations between national agencies, county governments, and local leadership to ensure the project delivers tangible returns to communities in both West Pokot and the neighbouring Turkana counties.
“Once implemented, the Lower Turkwel Irrigation Project is expected to put more than 3,000 hectares under irrigation by harnessing water from Turkwel Dam. This project is projected to boost food production, create employment opportunities, and strengthen climate resilience in the arid and semi-arid areas,” explained the Governor.
Leaders represented by MCAs from the Turkwel belt also noted that the project will play an important role in promoting peace and stability by encouraging shared resource use and improving livelihoods in the region.
The consultative meeting comes a day before the public participation exercise, where residents are expected to give their views on the proposed project.
Present at the meeting were Deputy Governor Robert Komolle, KVDA Chairperson Mark Chesergon, Acting MD Moses Kipchumba, MCAs Jane Mengich (Sekerr), Francis Loboo (Kasei) and Victor Siywat (Endough), CECMs Wilfred Longronyang (Agriculture), William Petot (Water) and Esther Chelimo (Lands), representatives from the Ministry of Interior and Coordination, and other county and national government officials.
By Richard Muhambe
