COMPENSATION IN LOWER KUJA IRRIGATION SCHEME

Today, the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) Board Chairman Eng. Gilbert Maluki, Chief Executive Officer Eng. Charles Muasya, MBS, and other officials from the Authority visited Lower Kuja Irrigation Scheme.

They were joined by Migori County CEC for Roads Hon. John Oringo, NIA Board Member Daniel Odero, and farmers as they presented land compensation cheques to Project Affected Person’s (PAPs).

This exercise is part of the ongoing land compensation in Lower Kuja Irrigation scheme meant to allow construction of irrigation infrastructure to convey irrigation water to the farms.

In the first phase, the Authority successfully disbursed a total of KES 17 million to eligible farmers, while today’s second phase has seen disbursement of an additional KES 15 million. The compensation exercise will continue until all rightful farmers have been fully compensated to allow opening up of more land for Irrigation.

The Chairman urged beneficiaries to utilize the funds prudently for personal development and reinvestment in irrigation. He also emphasized the importance of maximizing use of the installed irrigation infrastructure to boost rice production, generate employment and improve livelihoods across the Lower Kuja region contributing meaningfully to the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BeTA).

He called upon other eligible PAPs to sign the land compensation consent forms to allow processing of their compensation. He concluded by adding that the scheme is one of the strategic schemes meant to contribute to meeting the Country’s rice deficit.