Increasing population: Kagwe launches KSh 79m water pan rehabilitation in Kilifi

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe inaugurated the KSh 79 million rehabilitation of the Ndigiria Water Pan in Bamba, Kilifi County

- The 1963-era water pan will support a 50-acre smallholder irrigation scheme set to benefit over 100 farmers directly

- The Government also disbursed KSh 30.5 million to eight local SACCOs as part of a financial empowerment component tied to the project

Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe has launched the KSh 79 million rehabilitation of the Ndigiria Water Pan in Bamba, Kilifi County.

He said the project ois a critical piece of Kenya's broader push to expand irrigated agriculture and reduce dependence on rainfall.

Kenya's Irrigation-First Food Strategy

Kagwe warned that Kenya's growing population demands a fundamental shift in how the country produces food. "The population is increasing, yet the size of Kenya will not grow.

Thus, it is crucial to ensure that water resources are available to support this growth and sustain our population," he said at the inauguration.

He added that allowing large volumes of runoff to drain away during rainy seasons, only for communities to face water shortages and hunger months later, was no longer acceptable.

"Kenya cannot rely solely on rainfall to sustain its population. It is essential to ensure water availability for agriculture, enabling farmers to cultivate regardless of rainfall," Kagwe said.

The government's strategy centres on capturing runoff from seasonal rivers, harvesting and storing river water, building and expanding dams and water pans, and sinking deep boreholes where feasible.

This approach is being pursued alongside large-scale investments such as the Galana-Kulalu irrigation project and the development of national and community irrigation schemes.

What the Ndigiria Rehabilitation Involves

Originally constructed in 1963, the Ndigiria Water Pan will undergo desilting and embankment stabilisation, and will be fitted with fencing, an intake structure, pumping units, distribution pipelines, balancing tanks, solar power systems, and farm irrigation infrastructure.

The works are being executed under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP).

Once complete, the pan will anchor a 50-acre smallholder irrigation scheme expected to benefit more than 100 farmers directly, with an estimated 4,026 indirect beneficiaries. It will also supply water for approximately 15,398 livestock, though Kagwe directed that livestock watering points be kept separate from the irrigation facility.

Kagwe instructed the contractor to phase the rehabilitation works so that residents retain water access throughout construction, and to prioritise local residents for employment.

He also called for the grading of the road leading to the water pan, committing to lobby at Cabinet level for improvements to the wider Bamba road network.

Farmers allocated land under the scheme will receive seeds, extension services, and technical assistance, and Kagwe urged them to mix food crops with commercially viable crops to strengthen household income.

The initiative also carried a financial empowerment component. Kagwe disbursed KSh 30,512,579 to eight local SACCOs to improve farmers' access to credit.

Principal Secretary for Cooperatives Development Patrick Kilemi said stronger cooperatives would help farmers pool produce, access markets, and secure better returns.

Kilifi Deputy Governor Flora Mbetsa Chibule called on residents to protect the infrastructure so that the investment serves the community for generations to come.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Kai Eli (Politics and current affairs editor) Eli Kai is currently working with TUKO as a politics and current affairs editor. He has six years of experience in digital journalism. Eli joined Tuko.co.ke in 2021. Email: eli.odaga@tuko.co.ke

Yvonne Sasha (Mombasa freelance reporter) Yvonne Sasha is a journalist with over 7 years of experience in the newsroom. She publishes stories in the form of special reports and features on politics, courts, food security, climate change and mental health. She is a Mombasa-based News Correspondent for Special Reports at TUKO.co.ke since 2022. Yvonne holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Email: yvonnemutunga4@gmail.com.

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.