President William Ruto has commissioned the Sh221 million expansion of the Rombo Clusters Irrigation Development Project in Kajiado South, aimed at transforming agricultural production, strengthening food security and improving livelihoods in the region.
The expansion has increased the area under irrigation from 2,983 acres to 5,500 acres across four schemes, enabling thousands of farmers to access reliable water for agricultural production throughout the year.
Speaking during his tour of Government projects in Kajiado County, President Ruto said the investment would enable farmers to move away from dependence on rain-fed agriculture and embrace commercial farming throughout the year.
He said the improved Rombo-Taveta Road would complement the irrigation project by improving farmers’ access to markets and making it easier and more affordable to transport agricultural produce.
President Ruto said better road connectivity would also attract traders, aggregators and other buyers to production areas, allowing farmers to plan production according to market demand and access better-paying markets.
He said farmers would have an opportunity to diversify into high-value horticultural crops, food crops and fruit trees.
The Rombo Cluster, implemented by the National Irrigation Authority, comprises Kisioki, Matepes, Esosioni and Oltepesi schemes and covers 5,500 acres.
The project is expected to enhance food security for 6,000 households, create 6,000 direct employment opportunities and support about 30,000 indirect jobs.
It is also expected to increase agricultural and livestock production and provide raw materials for agro-processing.
The project is projected to generate approximately Sh1 billion in gross income, with financial and economic analysis, showing that it is viable and has a payback period of less than one year.
President Ruto said the State Department for Irrigation would strengthen the capacity of Irrigation Water Users Associations (IWUAs), to ensure effective management of the schemes.
He said farmers would also be supported with quality seeds, fertilizers and other inputs, while measures would be implemented to reduce post-harvest losses through improved handling, storage, grading, packaging and transportation.
The President announced that Phase II of the project would be implemented at a cost of Sh250 million, bringing an additional 5,000 acres under irrigation.
“This is part of our wider plan for Kajiado County, where 37 irrigation projects have been completed and 22 are ongoing,” said President Ruto.
He said the projects currently cover 14,887 acres and have benefited 74,434 farmers, with a cumulative investment of Sh2.5 billion.
At the national level, President Ruto said the Government was targeting to expand irrigation to 2.5 million acres as part of efforts to reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture and promote productive and climate-resilient farming.
By Rop Janet
