The construction of 50 mega dams will enable the irrigation of 1.5 million acres of land in northern and coastal regions, making them Kenya’s new food baskets, President William Ruto has said.

The President explained that through irrigation, the two regions that had been declared low-potential areas will now become high-potential agricultural producers.

“In our plan for placing 2.5 million acres of land under irrigation, 1.5 million of those will be from Northern Kenya and the Coast regions,” he said.

The President was speaking in Masalani in Ijara Constituency, Garissa County, during the wedding ceremony of Mr Mohammed Noordin Mohamed Y. Haji, son of National Intelligence Service Director-General Noordin Haji, and Jamila Mohammed Abdulgader Al Sawae.

The President said this is part of the government’s plan to strengthen the country’s food security to make Kenya a net exporter of agricultural products.

Explaining that one of the 50 mega dams, the High Grand Falls, will be built along the Tana River in Tharaka-Nithi and Kitui counties, and will supply water to Garissa, support irrigation and make it a key food basket in the country.

“The biggest beneficiary of the High Grand Falls Dam, which is probably going to be the largest dam in Kenya, is going to help irrigate between 300,000 and 400,000 acres of land,” he said.

For a very long time, the President noted, Kenya has only used 15 per cent of the land to grow and produce food.

“It is time to expand from that 15 per cent of Kenya that has rainfall to the rest of the 85 per cent that has no rainfall by storing water for irrigation,” he said.

The President said irrigation farming will make food production more predictable and reliable.

On roads, the President said the government is tarmacking the 410 kilometres Lamu-Ijara-Garisaa- Garbatula Road noting that it is 50 percent done.

Additionally he said that the 750 Isiolo-Mandera road will be done and completed under the current administration bringing the total road network under construction in North Eastern region to 1,100km. He said the road is the longest ever built by any administration in Kenya.

Additionally, he pointed out that the government is mapping out 28,000km for tarmacking across the country.

“We have done 22,000km in 60 years. My plan is to build an extra 28,000km to connect every part of Kenya,” he said.

The President pointed out that there is no way the country can be transformed if it is not connected.

On education, the President said the government has increased the education budget from KSh490 billion in 2021 to KSh700 billion this year to strengthen the country’s education system.

Noting this is 30 per cent of the country’s budget, he explained that it demonstrates the government’s commitment to education of all children nationally.

He said this investment has helped improve school infrastructure by building 23,000 classrooms while 1,600 laboratories are under construction, enabled the hiring of 100,000 teachers, and expanded funding for colleges and universities.

He explained that the goal of the huge financing is to equip the people, Kenya’s greatest resource, with the highest quality training and skills to build the human capital necessary to move Kenya towards first world status.

The President pointed out that education gives every child in every part of the country a chance to acquire quality schooling that empowers them in life.

President Ruto said no part of the country will be left behind in the country’s development journey.

He assured North Eastern residents that the region would not be left behind in national development programmes.

President Ruto said that the unity of purpose under the broad-based alliance delivered victory in the just concluded by election.

The President said the alliance won all parliamentary by-elections because they made a deliberate decision not to field candidates against each other.

“The last by-elections have demonstrated what unity can do. We had joint broad-based candidates in Ugunja (Siaya), Kasipul (Homa Bay), Malava (Kakamega), Banisa (Mandera), Magarini (Kilifi), Mbeere North (Embu) and Baringo. That is why we won,” he said.

He announced that they would continue working together to transform the country and unite Kenyans.

The President was also in Masalani for the official opening of Yusuf Haji Girls Secondary, where he handed over a new bus to the school. He also laid the foundation stone for phase two of the school’s development.

Further, President Ruto launched the construction of the 376 units of the Ijara Affordable Housing Project in Masalani, Garissa County.

To provide enough education spaces for children of residents who will occupy affordable housing, the President announced that the government will build 32 classrooms in schools next to Masalani.

He said the government will also upgrade Masalani Hospital to enhance access to quality healthcare in the region.

Additionally, he said a Kenya Medical Training College will be built to train health professionals to support the delivery of universal healthcare in the region.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale commended the President for restoring the dignity of the people of North Eastern, noting that they had been discriminated against in the provision of national identification cards and other government documents.

Other leaders present were Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula, Governors Nathif Jama Adam (Garissa) and Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir (Mombasa), Senators Oburu Odinga (Siaya), and Olekina Ledama (Narok), and Haji Abdul Mohammed (Garissa) among others.
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