- Nakuru farmers tour Kirinyaga irrigation schemes for practical lessons
- Peer exchange highlights ways to improve farm productivity
- Farmers learn how to manage and sustain irrigation projects
Farmers from Nakuru County have been taken on a practical learning journey to Kirinyaga to see how successful irrigation schemes are run and how they can turn irrigation infrastructure into higher farm productivity.
Lead farmers from Lari Wendani Irrigation Scheme in Subukia and Kabugi Irrigation Scheme in Gilgil participated in a peer-to-peer exchange visit to Mitoini Phase 1 and 2 and Kibirigwi irrigation schemes in Kirinyaga County.
The visit gave the farmers a firsthand look at how established schemes are managed, maintained and operated, as well as how farmers can make better use of irrigation systems to improve food production and household livelihoods.
The exchange is part of efforts under the Farmer-Led Irrigation Development (FLID) approach through the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), with the focus shifting from simply putting up irrigation infrastructure to ensuring farmers can effectively use and sustain it.
Agriculture Chief Officer Eng. Margaret Kinyanjui said the exposure was meant to change the mindset of farmers by allowing them to learn directly from communities already benefiting from irrigation.
“Peer-to-peer learning gives our farmers an opportunity to see what other farmers are doing, learn from their experiences and identify practices that can be adapted to our own irrigation schemes,” Kinyanjui said.
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She added that successful irrigation requires more than infrastructure, noting that proper management, collective responsibility and effective use of available resources are equally important.
During the exchange, the Nakuru farmers interacted with their counterparts, observed practical irrigation practices and picked lessons that could be applied when Lari Wendani and Kabugi schemes are fully operational.
The county says such farmer-to-farmer exchanges are aimed at giving communities greater ownership of irrigation projects while equipping them with practical knowledge to boost agricultural production.
The visit offered the farmers a chance to see beyond pipes, canals and infrastructure, and understand what it takes to keep an irrigation scheme productive long after the project is completed.
By Lizzy Aluga
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