Delayed payments to land owners in Budalang’i and Siaya counties have halted the implementation of a Sh7 billion irrigation project that should benefit the two counties.
The head of the Lower Nzoia Irrigation Development Project Edwin Manyonge who toured the project last week said the National Land Commission (NLC) is yet to compensate local land owners.
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The project aims to boost irrigation and curb perennial floods in Budalang’i and a source income for the locals.
Mr Manyonge urged NLC to compensate the land owners quickly to help achieve implementation targets. The project is still stalled at 15 % completion when it should be over 40% complete by now, leaving the project 9 months behind schedule.
He also revealed that there are some local land owners who are ready to surrender their land before full payments are made, and NLC needs to reach out to them to keep the works going. Busia county Chief Officer for Water and Irrigation Moses Weunda also pointed that the completion of the project will depend NLC’s speed to compensate the land owners.
“Witnessing such a stand off is not encouraging at all and we appeal to the commission to effect the payments,” said Mr Weunda.
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The irrigation project was launched by Deputy President William Ruto last year, Water Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui was also present during the launch where he told the gathering that the ministry had deposited Sh. 450 million with NLC to compensate land owners.
“The government will not take anyone’s land without paying for it,” said Chelugui. These sentiments were echoed by an official from National Irrigation Board (NIB) Dan Adino, who handles compensation matters at the board.
“We shall compensate everyone whose land is going to be used,” Mr Adino during the launch.
Dr Ruto hinted that the state had intended to increase the acreage under the project from 2,000 acres to 10,000 acres.
There were needs to build dykes with plans to produce enough food to serve the entire region so atleast 34km of dykes will be constructed along the banks of River Nzoiasaid to prevent it from bursting.
The DP noted that in case of a burst the river would discharge its water and wreak havoc on farms and homes along its banks. He urged the locals to embrace the project which had the ability to benefit at least 60,000 homes from Busia and Siaya counties.
