Gov't to expand Galana Kulalu irrigation project after successful 500-acre trial crop

Ruto said in a tweet on Monday that the project's expansion was influenced by the success of the first 500-acre trial crop.

"The first 500-acre trial crop in Galana. Great success. Next year, with the private sector, we will expand to 20,000 acres and progressively to 200,000 acres in 4 years," President Ruto Tweeted. 

The President, whose administration is currently dealing with high living costs, stated that the Galana project is part of his government's food security plan.

"This is part of our food security plan to eliminate the shame of hunger from our motherland. Forward always," he added. 

President Ruto ordered the revival of the Galana Kulalu irrigation project in January of this year, which began with maize production in February.

“I want to promise Kenyans that we’re going to make Galana work, and it’s going to work beginning this February. We’re going to plant maize in the first 10,000 acres and we already have the mechanism to do it,” stated the President at the time. 

“In another 8 months we’re going to do another 10,000 acres and in the next 2/3 months I will be in Galana to launch the construction of the dam that will make it possible for us to do the next 300,000 acres. It is possible for us to produce 10 million bags from Galana to seal the gap that we’re currently going to import.”

He claimed that the project, hailed as the panacea to Kenya's food insecurity, was sabotaged during the previous regime by shadowy figures in the Ministry of Lands who subdivided land in order to establish a settlement scheme.

The Ksh.7.2 Billion  Galana Kulalu Food Security Project which covers 1.75 million acres of land was begun by the government seven years ago but would later stall.