Background Information
Bunyala Irrigation Scheme is one of the seven public schemes in Kenya started in 1969. It was started with an initial 534 acres under paddy rice production. It has been under production since then. Located in Busia and Siaya counties, the scheme gets its irrigation water from River Nzoia through pumping and flows by gravity through open earth channels to the farms.
Current Status
The Scheme has a potential area for irrigation of 22,000 acres. Currently, 3,246 acres are under production: 534 acres at the Original Main Scheme and 2,712 acres at the additional expanded areas benefitting 3,489 farmers each holding an average of 1-4 acres of land. The production estimates of paddy for the Financial Year 202/2025 is 12,000 Metric Tonnes.
The scheme abstracts water from the river through pumping via six (6) Electric Powered Pumps: 4 No @ 0.3m3/sec (Main Scheme Intake) & 2 No. @0.15m3/sec at the (Rwambwa-Mudembi Intake) and conveys it through basin irrigation system; conveyance by open earth canals.
The National Irrigation Authority is implementing Lower Nzoia Irrigation Development Project with the aim of shifting from pump-fed to gravity irrigation, which is cheaper. Once complete, the project will support Bunyala Irrigation Scheme farmers with enough water for irrigation through gravity and support an additional 10,000 acres of rice production.
Rice production
The Scheme embarked in increasing rice production through;
- Expanding land under irrigation
- Increasing cropping intensity and diversification
- Increasing yield per unit area
The above interventions led to increased food security. In the financial year 2020/2021, the 10,000rice yield increased to tons up from 9,030 tons the previous year.
Projected Benefits/ Benefits being realized
- Enhanced food security
- Employment creation
- Wealth creation thereby improving living standards (e.g. Health, Education, Shelter, and general)
Figure 4: Farmers at Bunyala scheme rice seedling
Statistical Data
- Location/County – Busia County and Siaya County
- Year of establishment – 1959
- Gazetted Area – 10,000 Acres
- Main Crop – Rice
- Area under Irrigation –3,246 Acres
- Expansion Area –2,592 Acres
- Source of irrigation water – River Nzoia
- No. of Farmers – 3,489 Households
- Type of irrigation – Basin irrigation system
- Other Crops – Pulses and Horticulture