How Vihiga is shifting to climate-smart farming

For years, Musienga Kandai relied on rainfall to grow maize on his one-acre farm in Givogi Village, Banja Ward, Hamisi Sub- County.

However, prolonged dry spells over the past two seasons withered his crop before harvest, forcing the father of four to consider alternative ways of earning a living.

His hopes have now been revived after the Vihiga County Government launched two farmer-led irrigation projects under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP).

The projects—Banja Irrigation Project in Hamisi Sub- County and Hamuyundi Irrigation Project in Sabatia Sub-County—will complement two similar schemes launched three years ago in Vihiga and Luanda sub-counties.

The 52-year-old farmer is now preparing to replace maize with African leafy vegetables (ALVs), confident that irrigation will transform his livelihood.

"I lost almost everything when the rains failed this year. I spent money on seeds and fertiliser, but the maize dried up before it matured," Kandai said.

He plans to venture into growing highly nutritious African leafy vegetables including amaranth (dodo/mchicha), black nightshade (managu/lisutsa/osuga), cowpeas (kunde), jute mallow (mrenda) and mitoo (Crotalaria brevidens).

"This irrigation project has restored our hope. Instead of waiting for unpredictable rains, I can grow vegetables throughout the year, plan to plant saga, managu, kunde and terere because they mature quickly and have a ready market," he said.

Kandai said reliable water will enable him to harvest several times a year, improving household food security and increasing his income.

"I expect my children will no longer lack vegetables on the table, and I will sell the surplus to pay school fees, " he notes.

A few kilometres away in Musengeli Village, Ruth Mutange has experienced similar challenges.

The small-scale farmer said repeated droughts have left many families struggling after successive maize crop failures.

"There were seasons when we harvested almost nothing. We watched our crops dry up despite all the effort we put into farming," she said.

Mutange believes irrigation will restore confidence among farmers who had nearly abandoned agriculture.

"We have depended on rainfall for too long. Now we can grow vegetables throughout the year instead of relying on one rainy season. That means we will earn income every month instead of once a year."

She said African leafy vegetables have become increasingly popular because they are nutritious, mature quickly and fetch better prices than maize.

"We have buyers looking for these vegetables almost every day. With irrigation, we will have enough produce to supply the market consistently."

The optimism among the two farmers reflects growing excitement across Banja and West Sabatia wards following the launch of the two irrigation projects expected to transform agriculture in Vihiga County.

Governor Wilber Ottichilo this week laid the foundation stones for the Banja Irrigation Project in Hamisi Sub- County and the Hamuyundi Irrigation Project in Sabatia Sub-County under NAVCDP.

Together, the projects will irrigate 67 hectares of farmland and directly benefit about 620 households.

The Banja Irrigation Project, located in Musengeli, draws water from the Givinjori/Mujinga River. The Sh28.8 million project will irrigate 30 hectares and benefit about 300 households.

The Hamuyundi Irrigation Project in West Sabatia Ward will draw water from the Mwitumbui River, a tributary of River Yala.

The Sh31.9 million project will irrigate 37 hectares and benefit approximately 320 households.

Speaking during the launch, Governor Ottichilo said irrigation has become essential as climate change continues to disrupt traditional farming seasons.

"Ninety-eight per cent of Kenya's arable land still depends on rainfall, yet weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable. These projects will enable our farmers to produce food throughout the year instead of relying on uncertain rains," he said.

The governor said the county is encouraging farmers to embrace climate-smart agriculture and diversify into high-value crops such as African leafy vegetables.

"We want Vihiga to become self-sufficient in African leafy vegetable production instead of depending on neighbouring counties. Continuous production will improve household incomes, food security and nutrition."

He urged farmers to adopt efficient water management technologies and sustainable farming practices to cushion themselves against climate change.

The Banja and Hamuyundi projects were launched nearly three years after the county introduced similar irrigation schemes in Vihiga and Luanda sub-counties.

One of the earlier beneficiaries is Ezekiel Boge, a farmer under the Buhani Irrigation Project in Mungoma Ward, Vihiga Sub- County, who says irrigation has transformed his farming.

"Before this project, we relied entirely on rainfall, and every drought meant losses. Today I grow vegetables throughout the year because water is available even during the dry season," he said.

"We were trained on climate-smart agriculture, soil and water conservation, efficient irrigation methods and the use of drip systems. Those skills have improved both the quality and quantity of my harvests."

Boge said demonstration farms and greenhouses established under the programme continue to serve as learning centres where farmers exchange knowledge on modern farming practices.

"Many farmers who doubted irrigation have changed their minds after seeing the results. We now earn income almost every month instead of waiting for a single annual harvest."

The Buhani Irrigation Project was implemented by the Directorate of Climate Change under the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme.

The project entails irrigating 100 farms, setting up greenhouses, distributing farm inputs and enhancing extension services.

Besides supporting horticultural farming, the project includes a community water supply system with a 105,000-litre storage tank serving hundreds of households in Mungoma Ward while also supplying irrigation water.

Beneficiary farmers received training on soil and water management, installation and maintenance of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, efficient water use and establishment of demonstration farms.

The county also implemented a Sh43 million irrigation scheme serving farmers in Wemilabi and Emabungo wards in Luanda Sub- County and Central Bunyore Ward in Emuhaya Sub- County.

The project under FLLoCA supplies irrigation water to 154 households, enabling year-round horticultural production.

Agriculture experts say the investments are part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on rain-fed farming, which has become increasingly unreliable due to climate change.

"Over-reliance on rainfall is no longer sustainable. Farmers must adopt irrigation, efficient water management and other climate-smart technologies to maintain productivity, improve incomes and guarantee food security despite changing weather patterns," said Agriculture Chief Officer Dr Betty Mulianga.

Dr Mulianga described the irrigation schemes as the first large-scale farmer-led irrigation initiatives in the affected areas.

She said farmers have traditionally depended entirely on rainfall despite the presence of rivers capable of supporting irrigation.

"Our biggest challenge has been changing the mindset that farming can only take place during the rainy season. With irrigation, farmers will now have an opportunity to grow vegetables continuously and earn regular income," she said.

Dr Mulianga said the county has prioritised African leafy vegetables because they perform well under irrigation, have ready markets and contribute significantly to household nutrition.

She added that the projects are being complemented by sustainable land management initiatives, including construction of farm ponds, soil conservation terraces, distribution of Hass and Fuerte avocado seedlings, farmer learning tours and installation of dam liners.

According to the NAVCDP committee, the irrigation projects are expected to increase productivity, ensure year-round vegetable production, improve household incomes, strengthen food and nutrition security and build resilience to climate change.

Beyond irrigation, the programme has mobilised 3,362 Common Interest Groups and Vulnerable and Marginalised Groups comprising more than 60,000 members.

More than 40,000 farmers have been trained on improved farming technologies, while 15 Farmer Producer Organisations and 25 farmers' SACCOs have been strengthened to improve access to markets, savings and affordable credit.

The programme has also established 140 farmer demonstration sites worth Sh14 million, trained 3,285 lead farmers and reached more than 42,000 farmers with climate-smart agricultural technologies.