The Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority is in need of Sh. 1.6 billion to revive the defunct 76,000-acre Tana Delta Irrigation project in Gamba area, Tana Delta Sub County, Tana River County.
Already the agency has invested Ksh 35 million in desilting a 36-kilometer water canal starting from the Kitere intake bell mouth.
According to the TARDA Managing Director Liban Roba Duba, the desilting work at the intake from River Tana was almost complete adding that the community along the canal will also benefit from it in various ways.
“We are looking at Ksh 1.6 billion but because of funding constraints we are looking at ways to explore Public Private Partnership framework specially to do with milling for private investors and the whole project will cost Ksh 1.6 billion. This thing will be done in phases with the first one being the desilting and reconstruction of the canal with full community engagement,” he said.
Mr. Roba also said that the government was exploring ways to attract private investors once the necessary infrastructure is laid down.
“We have learnt from the model we have previously adopted and we have learnt from the best East African practice and this time the government will play much more of facilitation roles in terms of infrastructure, training seed certifications and leave the actual planting and production to the private sector,” he said.
Among the benefits of the 36-kilometer canal are 17 villages with a population of 35,000 residents residing along the canal from the Kitere intake to the Rubber dam and the TARDA farm in Gamba.
“The drying of the channel necessitated the halt of operations on the farm but with this water back we will be able to commence operations on the farm immediately,” he said adding that due to the loose soil, the desilting program to maintain the canal will be done annually as the agency seeks for funds to set up a permanent intake structure and silt trap in future.
According to Mr. Roba, the rice feasible part of the farm was 12,000 acres and 4,300 was already in operation before the collapse of the project seven years ago.
“The design of the entire 76,000-acre farm included 12,000 acres for rice, 10,000 acres for sugarcane and the rest for many other crops and other agricultural activities such as ranching and dairy farming, bee keeping and cotton farming,” he said.
The Principal Secretary in the ministry of Trade and Industry Bellio Kipsang said that the Delta triangle projects will be revitalized so that residents can feel part of the process.
“This was happening at some point in time and we have no reason not to bring it back so that people can benefit. You can remember the sugar project that was to come up and it is part of the Delta Triangle and cotton will also be put up,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary for Trade and Industry Betty Maina assured the agency of government support in terms of funding and also called on private investors to come on board and invest in the area as a one way of achieving food security for the nation.
“We need to put in a bit more resources to run the factory as it is because it is still mechanically sound but we need to explore sustainable ways to run it. The government is not good at running business and we are seeking private investors,” she said.
Mr. Ali Jilo, a resident of Kitere village said that the canal had helped residents in a huge way and that there was sufficient water for irrigation and domestic use.
