The NIA Board chairman Eng. Gilbert Maluki held a consultative meeting with the Migori County Governor H.E Hon. Dr. Ochilo Ayacko on April 19, 2024. The Board chairman was accompanied by the Deputy General Manager – Operations Mr. Joel Tanui, NIA Nyanza Regional Coordinator Innocent Ariemba, Scheme Manager, Lower Kuja and farmer leaders led by their chairman Okeyo Aremo.
The Governor was accompanied by CECM Agriculture Lucas Musenda, Chief Officer Agriculture Michael Midwa, Chief Officer Finance Dr. John Achuora and the Chief of Staff Joseph Okumu.
They discussed areas of collaboration and revitalization of the Lower Kuja Irrigation Development Project as well as optimal utilization of the installed infrastructure in the project to benefit thousands of local residents, both directly and indirectly.
The NIA Chairman accompanied by the CECM Agriculture, CO – Agriculture, Chief of Staff and the Assistant County Commissioner Nyatike North, Kipchumba Kiyeng later met farmers in the project office to discuss their challenges including rice processing, market linkages, land compensation, pending components of the project among others. They discussed all the issues and agreed to have all the parties play their part in ensuring realization of the project’s full potential.
With the potential to improve agricultural output and improve Migori residents’ quality of life, the Lower Kuja Irrigation Development Project offers a ray of hope for the locals, the county and beyond.
Full implementation of the designed 19,000 acres of the project will change the economy of the region and Kenya at large. With implementation of the proposed Gogo dam under Public Private Partnership (PPP), the project area will expand to over 70,000 acres and greatly contribute to the increase of rice production in Kenya. This will in turn reduce rice importation and Increase household income as espoused in the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BeTA).
The Authority is committed to ensure full implementation of the project. A rallying call from all the stakeholders was for the farmers to undertake production on the developed area, find amicable ways of handling the ongoing complaints and allow implementation of the project as envisioned.