Boost for Mwea rice farmers as Sh16bn dam to be completed December

The construction of the Sh16 billion Thiba dam, which is set to increase rice production by over 100,000 tonnes in Kenya is set for completion in December.

National Irrigation Authority (NIA) says the works are at 58 percent at the moment and that the contractor is on course to finish the construction by December, coming as a relief following delays in the early years, which was occasioned by land compensation issues.

Mwea Irrigation Scheme is the largest rice growing scheme in East Africa and it supplies over 70 percent of the total produce consumed in Kenya.

“Currently the construction of the dam is progressing at 58 percent with the integrated cofferdam at 100 percent complete,” said NIA.

“This will lead to an increase in rice production in Mwea from the current 114,000 tonnes to 200,000 tonnes in a year,” said NIA.

Kenya mainly relies on imports to meet the annual rice needs bringing in 75 percent of all the requirements in a given year

The new dam will see farmers diversify from growing of rice, which is currently the only major cash crop in the region, to other produce such as horticulture.

In addition, there will be introduction of double cropping season in Mwea Scheme for the entire 35,000 acres. In the past farmers have only been cropping one season in year.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided Sh10 billion for the project with the government of Kenya putting in the balance of Sh6 billion.

The project will expand the existing irrigation capacity in Mwea to 10,000 acres creating enough water for farming activities.

The new project will establish a reservoir of 15.6 million cubic metres of water for the expanded irrigation and enhance water supply that will see farmers plant their produce twice in a year to the existing Mwea Irrigation Settlement Scheme.