Kenya to use Sh15 billion for irrigation in the 2013/2014 financial year Deputy President William Ruto has announced that the Jubilee administration will plough Sh15 billion to irrigate a million acres of land in the 2013/2014 financial year. Ruto told a caucus disabled legislators and those from pastoralist regions of Kenya in Mombasa on Saturday that the Jubilee government will include “the pastoralist narrative” in its policies because the arid and semi arid parts where they live constitute 70 per cent of the Kenyan landmass. Legislative amendments He was addressing the Pastoralists’ Parliamentary Group where Majority Leader Aden Barre Duale declared that pastoralist legislators will support legislative amendments to hand the Inspector General David Kimaiyo “full command of the police force.” Duale told Kimaiyo who was at the venue in Mombasa that “we will help you bring the necessary amendments…to give you maximum command just like the Chief Justice is head of the Judiciary.” Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro said the 2010 Constitution created a framework to end marginalisation of arid regions “You cannot plan without 70 per cent of the Kenyan landmass,” said Ruto who indicated that future irrigation or mechanised agricultural programmes will be based in the arid and semi arid areas. “Mechanisation of Western Kenya is not possible due to the small landholdings. It is only in the arid and semi-arid areas that you can mechanise agriculture through irrigation,” said Ruto, who further said that the new administration will eliminate all forms of marginalisation. “Marginalisation will be changed to inclusion,” he said adding that “we are committed to eliminating all manner of marginalisation in our country.” Regarding the money set for irrigation the Deputy President indicated that tenders would be advertised next week inviting bids for investors to take up the one million-acre project. “As a Government, we have decided to set aside these funds so that we can be able to feed our population. We have also decided to set aside one million acres of land that will be used in irrigation purposes. Ruto said the Jubilee Government will try to create long term solutions to the problems of drought, disaster and insecurity in the arid and semi arid areas to foster development. “We have all seen how drought regularly devastates pastoralist livelihoods.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 06:15:26 +0000
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