New Kilimani Galana Buttress irrigation dam in Isiolo County comes into operation. The dam was built on the Lewa River and has a storage capacity of 103,000 m3.
The project involved construction of 13 km of pipes that supply water to 461 farmers in Kilimani and Burat Ward. These farmers grow vegetables, maize, onions and watermelons along the water pipe. Some of the water pumped from the dam is stored in reservoirs to supply farmers in Shambani locality.
DRSLP
The Sh 145 million irrigation project was funded by the central government. It was also part of the Horn of Africa Drought Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods Programme (DRSLP), funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). In Kenya, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MALF) is leading the DRSLP. In this East African country, the programme has also enabled the construction of the Kilimani Game Galana irrigation scheme.
The DRSLP is also active in Djibouti. In this other East African country, drought is chronically prevalent, resulting in the disappearance of vegetation cover, the drying up of water points, the rise of brine in the water table, the malnutrition of livestock and famine, especially among the nomadic population. โThe DRSLP I supported the Djibouti government in implementing the strategic axes defined in the 2007 INDS4, through the development of drought resilience and sustainable livelihoods,โ the pan-African bank said in a report published on August 14th, 2020.
