A Blue-print to Resuscitating Galana Kulalu Project V2.0

In 2013-2015, goverment through the ministry of agriculture, devolution as well as National Irrigation Board (NIB) came up with an agressive plan to enhance Kenya's food security through the Galana Kulalu flagship project.

The whole idea was to reclaim over 50,000 acres of land that was within the arid and semi arid region through irrigation and used to produce maize and other crops enough to supplement the nations food production. The project was a guaranteed key to food security.

So apparently, the government came up with a plan, infact an awesome plan. The plan was to contract experts with experience and first hand experience at converting 'deserts' to 'vine yards'. We all know that no one is better at this than the Israeli. 

So an Israeli company called Green Arava was contracted for the task. FYI the said company have done several other similar projects in various parts of the world with 100% success rate. However, the company was supposed to operate under NIB which fall under the ministry of agriculture, and this is the exact reason why the project failed miserably.

I will tell you why, and its so simple:

1. Israelis don't take bribes.

2. Israelis don't do kickbacks.

3. Israelis work on a clock work system.

4. Israelis hate beauracracy.

For those only four reasons among many others, the Israelis just woke up one morning, packed their stuff and left for good, and the project went under River Galana waters!

Now that we have a new regime, a government with agricultural enhancement good will, and a vision to ensure that the country is food secure, i would recommend a very simple recucitatation blue-print, a very simple plan.

GALANA KULALU RECUCITATATION PLAN

To begin with, we have evidence and proof that the project's objectives are achievable. I mean, the government harvested over 1000 bags of maize from the few unattended maize the Israelis left when they exited the project.

The first thing we have to overhaul in the entire project is the management. As mentioned above, NIB is a menace and thats a story for another day. The project needs to be placed in the hands of people who act quick, are precise on their mandate and do not entertain "kitu kidogo stupidity" (corruption)

There is only one institution that can do that, and that is the military. Place the entire project under the Kenya Ordinance wing of the kenyan military. Remember, military only take instructions from the head of state, and if the head of state has the project at heart, its success is guaranteed under the management of the military.

Then comes the actual project. For this part, the government need to be very careful lest they incur extra unnecessary costs. Remember Green Arava were almost 50% done with the project. The infrastrural phase as well as trials were all done. It would be wise if Green Arava are given the chance to complete what they started. They should be informed that the state is directly in charge of the project through its military and trust those guys love military (all Israelis are military trained after all).

Then comes the funding. Green Arava should be fully funded and given the financial autonomy but through the military. Military is known for their transparency when it comes to quick and precise tendering. Let the guys have what they need quickly and in the quality needed.

Deploy precision agriculture machinery towards the daily running of the project. Let the government lead by example. For many years and in many forums, we the players in the field of precision Agriculture have always tried to show the government what precision agriculture can do. Conventional farming will not solve the food security problem in kenya, but rather by adoption of precision agriculture concept.

For entirety of the project, precision agriculture machinery and equipment should be deployed right from land preparation, irrigation, planting, weeding, pest control, harvesting, farm data management as well as crop health monitoring and analysis.

With the invention of gps, various precision ag technologies should be deployed such as auto guidance and auto steering, variable rate control, variable rate application, irrigate IQ, land leveling and drainage, section control, crop health monitoring among others.

These precision agriculture technologies ensures minimisation of farm input and costs while increasing yields. And just like that, the country will be food secure and production sustainability enhanced.

As simple as that, and galana kulalu project will be a mega project in 3 years. We will be guaranted of over 5 million bags of maize from the project annually. 

My 50 cent contribution.

By

Eng. Alfred Mutai