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Community to benefit with Sh. 8 million water project

The  perennial  water  problem  that  has been facing the community around Kiamathatwa, Nyaga and Kombuini villages  in  the  outskirts  of  Kutus  town  may soon  be thing  of  the  past  after  the government  allocated Sh.8 million  for  water  provision  in  the  area.

The  community initiated the project in 2004 but was only able to construct the water intake leaving the piping part
undone.

The  Vice  Chair  of  the Kiamathatwa Irrigation  Water Project, Simon  Kimani  said they have been seeking for funds  to  complete  the water to no avail until the national government came to their rescue.

“It is the same national government which gave us funds for the construction of the water intake at river Rutui in 2010,”  he said

The  community participated in the project by providing labour and dug up the trenches and in laying of the pipes as their  contribution to the project.

The  provision  of  the irrigation  water will enhance the farming of bananas, and horticultural crops like the French beans  and  the  tomatoes.

According  to  Kimani, the area receives low rainfall which is not enough to sustain farming without irrigation.

The  project  is  envisaged to boost the economy of the area and creation of gainful engagements to women and youths in the  area.

The project  will  provide water both for domestic and irrigation to about 300 members who also contributed Sh. 5,000  towards the project.

On  completion, the water project will also cater for areas that had not been factored in the initials plans once they pay the registration fee of Sh. 5,000.

Kimani  said  members  covered  by  the project will be allowed to irrigate only half an acre of land per member, as way of  making sure all the members benefit equally from the project.

The  Treasurer of the Project, Margret  Wanjiru  said  it  will be fully operational by September this year.

Pipe  work  has  already been done covering a distance of 22 kilometres from Rutui River  to the farms and the water  will  run  by  gravity.

The  project  is registered with the social services and covers the area between Kutus Municipality School and Kimicha  shopping centre.

Wanjiru  said  the  members  still  need  support  to  install  a  water storage tank  with a capacity of at least five hundred  thousand  cubic meters and asked the county government to chip in.

By  Irungu  Mwangi

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