Kwale County seeks to invest more in irrigation farming to enhance food security and promote economic growth.
The coastal county seeks to maximise its arable land to promote year-round agriculture.
Governor Fatuma Achani says the devolved unit is focused on irrigation farming in arid and semi-arid areas to secure Kwale’s agricultural future.
To achieve this, Governor Achani says the county has been providing support to local farmers by distributing certified seeds, improved varieties of crops, fertilisers and irrigation equipment.
Achani was speaking during an assessment tour of the Nyalani Dam Irrigation project in Vigurungani village Puma ward, Kinango Sub County.
She said the revamped 1952 Nyalani dam which gobbled up Sh231 million from M-Pesa Foundation and Sh25 million from the county government is slowly turning dry land into a food basket.
The Nyalani dam project boosts food production by supplying 105 acres of farmland with water for irrigation ensuring food security in the county.
Four hundred farmers in the scheme cultivate a variety of crops including maize, tomatoes, watermelons, onions, okra, spinach, and kale, using climate-smart practices such as drip irrigation and integrated pest management.
Speaking during the tour, Governor Achani highlighted the county’s commitment to equipping farmers with the tools and resources they needed to thrive.
“With the irrigation schemes, arid areas have the potential to transform from a basket case struggling with food security issues into food barns,” said Governor Achani.
“As a devolved government, we commit to supporting all programmes aimed at improving food production and uplifting the livelihoods of our people,’ she added.
She stated that since the inception of devolution in 2013, Kwale has constructed 50 large and medium water dams and drilled 60 boreholes besides laying 500 km of water pipelines.
The county boss said under her watch, the devolved unit, in a bid to enhance productivity, has rolled out a wide range of support programmes for farmers, including distribution of certified seeds and subsidised fertilisers to thousands of smallholder farmers.
She said other initiatives included provision of coconut seedlings across nine wards as part of a tree-planting and economic diversification.
Achani added that livestock development programmes, including the distribution of dairy cows and goats, plus access to veterinary services and quality feeds were also part of the support the county government was giving to farmers.
“We are expanding irrigation infrastructure, with several dams and water pans either constructed or rehabilitated to enable year-round farming,” she noted.
Achani who was accompanied by the County Executive for Agriculture, Roman Shera, said the county is also engaged in mechanised farming support through county-subsidised tractor ploughing services and access to extension officers.
Governor Achani urged residents to embrace modern agricultural practices and assured them that her administration would continue to prioritize agriculture as a key pillar for economic transformation.
Achani’s visit was marked by a tour of active farm plots, interactions with farmers, and inspection of ongoing irrigation upgrades, signalling her administration’s hands-on approach to agricultural development in the county.
By Hussein Abdullahi and Rachael Nzioki
