This archive report was first published on 7 July 2019.
Published on July 7, 2019, Agriculture Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has revealed that the Galana irrigation project has been plagued by corruption and inflated expenses.
The project, which was initially expected to be completed in March 2016, has seen significant delays and cost overruns, with the contractor, Green Arava, accused of mismanaging the project.
According to Kiunjuri, the cost of production has come down significantly since the National Irrigation Board (NIB) took over operations at the project, with the cost per acre now standing at a maximum of Sh45,000, down from Sh67,000 per acre previously.
The Agriculture ministry is now using this revelation as a basis to argue that the project is still viable and can play a key role in bridging the perennial food shortages in the country.
Green Arava has been accused of inflating expenses, with the company demanding Sh700 million for unclogging the water intake that had been blocked by runoff, a job that the NIB claims only cost Sh30 million to complete.
The government is now contemplating terminating the contract with Green Arava, with Kiunjuri stating that a decision on whether to allow the contractor to continue with the remaining part of the 10,000 model farm would be made this week.
