10,000 households benefit from KVDA water projects in Baringo

FRED KIBOR-PCO 

It is a sigh of relief to over 10, 000 families spread across Baringo County who previously trekked long distances in search of water after Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) set up several water infrastructure in the region to mitigate the scarcity. 

The projects which include boreholes, small dams and water pans will also benefit over 200, 000 livestock as well as initiate smallholder irrigation schemes to bolster food security and household in come. 

Some of the water pro jects include Birkwonin, Kalabata, Seretion, Barketiew, Mogotio, Kabuswa, Katikitik, Kapkechir, Kimao, Kelelwa, Cheploch and Chemorongion. 

According to KVDA Man aging Director Sammy Naporos, the projects after addressing the biting water shortage which has been a source of resource-based conflict will go a long way to encourage crop farming to build resilience among communities. 

“Water conflict will re duce and the many hours used in search of the precious commodity will be diverted in other meaningful development activities. This region has a lot of resources that need to be harnessed for the benefit of the communities and water availability is signaling the paradigm shift,” he said. 

The MD stated the pro jects will transform the region from relief reliance to food secure and better livelihoods. “What we have done is a drop in the ocean. We are focused at building resilience and improving the dwindling economic well being of the communities which also have been exacerbated by climate change,” the MD observed. 

“Adequate water will of fer alternative livelihoods to the locals away from traditional pastoralism the region is predominantly known for. We need a paradigm shift over the sole reliance of livestock keeping which has been blamed for the raids,” he noted. 

He added, “As KVDA we are advocating for crop irrigation, mango, avocado, coffee farming and bee keeping as an alternative sources of livelihoods and sustainable development in the region.”

Mr Naporos said the projects will go hand in hand with sustainable conservation efforts which involve the supplying of mango and avocado seedlings to farmers for environmental conservation as well as income generation. 

“In this way we are going to achieve the presidential directive to grow 15 billion trees by 2032 forest cover and more other activities have been lined up to generate income to the local residents in the KVDA area of operation,” he said.