Yatta canal interference: Farmers downstream experience water shortage, siltation

Farmers in Yatta Sub-County have urged Tana Athi Water Services Board to put in place measures to ensure functionality of the Yatta canal in order to ease biting shortage of the commodity in the region.

The farmers said massive siltation of Yatta canal, and diversion of water by several private establishments, were to blame for the shortage of water downstream.

They said water vendors had capitalised on the situation and taken advantage of hawking water at exorbitant rates.

This, they said, was hurting domestic consumers as well as there small businesses.

“Tana Athi Water Services Board, through Yatta Water Company, must ensure large consumers of water upstream do not jeopardize peasant farmers and other consumers who rely on the same facility for supply,” the residents said on Wednesday at Matuu town in a statement read by Mr Peter Muli, a farmer and a resident at Kithimani location.

Yatta canal, which was initially constructed in the pre-independence era, was rehabilitated by the National Government in 2016 at a cost of Sh2.2 billion by former President Uhuru Kenyatta and the current President, William Ruto commissioned the facility.

It was anticipated that the concrete lining of the canal would improve irrigation scheme thereby ending the food crisis in Ukambani region and improve the water surface flow in the 58-kilometre stretch which was previously inhibited by massive siltation, evaporation, and illegal diversions.