President Ruto Orders Revival of the Failed Galana Kulalu Irrigation Project

President Ruto on Tuesday ordered the revival of the failed Galana Kulalu irrigation project as part of the efforts to address the recurrent food crisis in the country.

The Sh8 billion project, which was initiated in 2014 by the Kenyan and Israeli governments, was expected to end the perennial shortage of maize, the country’s staple food, by injecting 41 percent more maize into the market through the cultivation of about one million acres of the Galana Kulalu complex.

The project faced delays and controversy surrounding the misappropriation of funds, leading to its termination in 2019. The Israeli government expressed disappointment in the failure of the project.

“Galana-Kulalu project was destroyed by cartels made up of maize importers and millers. They were the reason the project was deferred from the beginning,” said former Israeli ambassador to Kenya Noah Gendler.

“This has dampened the spirit of the business sector in Israel. It is sad for the country. We have not given up, but this is sending very bad signals. Some people might fear investing.”

President Ruto’s administration plans to revive the project through a public-private partnership (PPP) with the National Irrigation Authority (NIA). Under the new plan, an initial 10,000 acres will be developed for crop production starting in February followed by an additional 10,000 acres within the next six months.

Ruto said the government will work out a model for Public–Private Partnership food production on the 350,000 acres to be ready in six months and directed the relevant government agencies to execute the project in good time.

The government will also commence the construction of a dam in April in order to bring an additional 350,000 acres under production.

Ruto previously termed the project’s failure as a “political mistake” and has expressed support for its revival.

“The Galana Kulalu project was not a political project, but a national project that was meant to address the food security challenges facing our country. We must revive the project and make it work for the benefit of our people,” he said.