Mbeti South farmers to benefit from Sh69.9m Irrigation project

SAMUEL WAITITU- KNA

More than 360 households in the semi-arid Mbeti South Ward, Mbeere South Constituency in Embu County are set to benefit from a Sh69.9 million irrigation expansion project being implemented by the Embu County Government.

The expansion of the Rupingazi-Weru Irrigation Scheme is expected to transform farming activities in the region by increasing access to reliable irrigation water and reducing overdependence on rainfall according to Governor Cecily Mbarire.

The project, which was first initiated in 2013 during the first phase at a cost of Sh146 million initially covered 54 hectares of land and benefited about 137 households in Rwika area.

With the expansion plan, the project is set to cover an additional 150 hectares, opening up more land for farming and increasing the number of beneficiaries significantly. 

Speaking during the official handover of the project to the contractor at Rwika Market, Governor Mbarire said agriculture remains the backbone of Embu County’s economy as it employs a majority of residents either directly or indirectly.

Mbarire however noted that reliance on rain fed agriculture has been the biggest threat to food security in the county and more so in the arid area of Mbeere South and North Constituencies that received little rainfall.

She observed that the changing climate had also negatively affected crop production in upper zones of Embu that previously used to receive adequate rainfall forcing them to go back to the drawing board to come up with a lasting solution.