Arab Bank gives £35m for Kenyan irrigation project

5 December 2011

The Arab Bank has given a grant of £35 million to help irrigate a semi-arid area in Kieni and Nyeri County, Kenya.

All Africa reports that the project, which is being run by the country's National Irrigation board over the next four years, will help water more than 2,000 hectares of land.

The scheme is dependent on the development of six water reservoirs, three each on the Mount Kenya and Aberdare water towers, which will conserve surface runoff during raining season.

Kenya's water and irrigation minister Charity Ngilu told the nation's parliament that the scheme will transform the region, which is one of the poorest in the country.

She added that the Kenyan government is to fund ten per cent of the total cost of the infrastructure project and that construction will take two years to complete.

A plan to improve South Africa's water sector was recently set out at the 17th Conference of the Parties in Durban.

Category: Water