Growers accuse a cartel of highly influential people in the area of redirecting the water from rivers Nyamindi and Thiba to grow banana, french beans, coffee, and maize in the upper zone at the expense of Kenya’s largest rice irrigation scheme.
Diversion of water from rice farms is holding back planting at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
Water Users Association chairman Mauritius Mutugi, accused a cartel of highly influential people in the area of redirecting the water from rivers Nyamindi and Thiba to grow banana, french beans, coffee, and maize in the upper zone at the expense of Kenya’s largest rice irrigation scheme.
Mr Mutugi said the water supply to the scheme was on the verge of drying up.
“Much of the water has been diverted by cartels and farmers have not planted their rice.It is time for planting and now the rice fields are lying idle,” he told the Business Daily in Ngurubani town.
Mr Mutugi accused the Water Resources Management Authority of failing to intervene to save farmers’ livelihoods.
“We have raised the issue with the authority but it has not responded,” he said and warned that an acute shortage of rice may hit Kenya if urgent measures were not taken.
PAYE Tax Calculator
Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
