A decade after former President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the Galana Kulalu Irrigation Development Project, his successor, William Ruto, has allocated Ksh100 million towards the completion of the project.
The multi-billion project has been allocated millions almost every financial year since 2014.
Sandwiched between Kilifi and Tana River Counties, the irrigation project had aimed to bring up to one million acres under irrigation.
At a total cost of Ksh7.9 billion, the project was part of the country’s Vision 2030 and a roadmap towards attaining food security.
In the 2023/24 financial year, President William Ruto’s administration had allocated the project Ksh244 million.
The Ksh100 million seems to be the last batch of funds allocated to the former president’s legacy project.
The National Treasury did not give any projections of the funds to be allocated in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years.
Apart from the Galana Kulalu irrigation project, the government estimates to spend Ksh12 billion in the State Department for Irrigation for the year ending June 30, 2025.
To promote agricultural productivity, the Treasury has approved a gross expenditure of Ksh690 million for the Bura Irrigation Scheme and Ksh1 billion for Community Based Irrigation Projects.
Other projects expected to benefit include Mwea, Rwabura, Turkana and Lower Kuja irrigation systems.
The Gross Expenditure for the Mwea Irrigation Development Project for the 2024/25 financial year has been penned at Ksh789 million while for Rwabura it is Ksh208 million.
On the other hand, the estimates for the Turkana Irrigation Development Project are Ksh120 million and Lower Kuja Irrigation Scheme at Ksh150 million.
