Garissa Launches 1,500-Acre Irrigation Scheme to Boost Food Security

In Summary

• Garissa residents to benefit from new 1,500-acre Bulla Adey Irrigation Scheme at Kora Kora.
• Project taps River Tana water to boost food production and support drought-hit pastoralists.
• Scheme follows the 1,000-acre Raole Canal project in Balambala.
• Government investing KSh 45 million in the initiative.
• Farmers to benefit from value addition infrastructure and seed distribution.
• 1,000 tonnes of sunflower seeds already delivered; 2,000 more expected.
• Leaders urge farmers to embrace irrigation and transform Garissa into a national food hub.

Residents of Garissa County are set to benefit from a new 1,500-acre irrigation scheme at Bulla Adey in Kora Kora, with water to be tapped from River Tana to enhance food security and transform livelihoods in the drought-prone region.

The KSh 45 million project, launched by the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation, will enable farmers to transition from livestock rearing—often disrupted by prolonged droughts—to reliable crop production. It becomes the second major irrigation project in Garissa after the 1,000-acre Raole Canal scheme in Balambala.

Food security through irrigation

Water Cabinet Secretary Eng. Eric Muuga said irrigation was central to the government’s plan to increase food productivity under President William Ruto’s administration.

“In farming, irrigation is now the only way to succeed. Without water, crops cannot thrive. That is why we are working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure reliable irrigation across the country,” Muuga said.

He commended farmers already producing seed oils such as sunflower, cereals, and horticultural crops in the interior parts of the county, noting their contribution to national food security.

Government support to farmers

Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh pledged to strengthen the scheme with value addition infrastructure to maximize farmer incomes. He also delivered 1,000 tonnes of sunflower seeds, with an additional 2,000 tonnes expected soon.

“We want to ensure that the design of this project allows farmers to achieve higher yields and sustainable food production,” Ronoh said.

Garissa as a food frontier

Local leaders, including Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed, called for more investment in agricultural infrastructure to unlock the county’s food production potential.

“We have the land and the River Tana. What our farmers lack is investment and financing to scale up farming. With proper support, Garissa can become Kenya’s next food frontier,” Dekow noted.

Leaders rally behind initiative

The launch was attended by Garissa Governor Nathif Jama, Senator Abdul Haji, Women Rep Udgoon Siyad, County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo, and Parliamentary Affairs PS Aurelia Rono, who all pledged support for the project.

The scheme is expected to open new opportunities in farming, boost food production for both local and national markets, and uplift livelihoods in Garissa County.