Sand dams end Kitui farmers water woes

At 5pm, Lillian Mona moves from one side of her farm to the other with a pipe sprinkling water on vegetables. The one-acre farm in Matinyani, Kitui County, has sukuma wiki, tomatoes and spinach, planted in different sections.

She uses a water pump to draw water from a shallow well dug on a sand dam located at a seasonal river over 500 metres away.

For years, she has wanted to venture into commercial vegetable farming but water shortage has been a major challenge.

“This area is arid and gets little rainfall. This makes it difficult to do any farming,” she says.

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However, despite water challenges, Mona was determined to take on the high demand for vegetables. “I started with only 10 stems and surprisingly I was able to supply vegetables to five of my neighbours twice a week, earning around Sh1,000,” she recalls.

After struggling with farming and no water for many years, Mona’s turnaround came in 2017 after a Christian organisation, Compassion International Kenya visited and resolved to construct sand dams. 

“After the sand dams were constructed, we dug shallow wells and from then on my farming journey began,” she adds.

Tom Mulwa is another beneficiary of the sand dam water project in the area.

“I have always loved farming but water has always stood between me and my dream. There were times I tilled my land, planted crops and hoped the heavens would open for a little longer but I was always disappointed, not once or twice have I watched my crops die under the heavy sun which we have to endure for most part of the year,” says Mulwa.

Today, he has put this behind him. He has dug a shallow well where he draws water using a generator. The water is pumped directly to his farm around 300 metres away.

He grows tomatoes, spinach, sukuma wiki and capsicum.

He says his main challenge now is pests but with time, he is dealing with them. 

Jackson ole Shukuruh, Compassion International Kenya, partnership facilitator in Kitui-Mwingi says since the dams were constructed, many residents ventured into farming and are now food sufficient.

“We all have heard about jokes on water scarcity in this region, well, now the narrative is different, most shambas here remain green throughout the year and people grow enough to feed their families and for sale,” notes Shukuruh.

Women, he further points out, are the greatest beneficiaries as they no longer spend hours on end searching for water.

Bernard Muendo, water engineer at Sahelian Solutions Foundation (SASOL) explains that in dry areas such as Kitui, sustainable agriculture can be promoted through use of sand dams.

“Locals harvest water even during dry months that they use for agriculture and domestic needs,” he explains, adding that sand dams are cheap, simple and easy to maintain.

Over 50 families not only depend on water from sand dams for home consumption, but also farming that provides food for home use and income.

“I no longer have to wait for rainfall to farm, I do it throughout the year,” says Mona.

She makes approximately Sh15,000 from selling vegetables weekly. 

Mulwa plans to expand his farm and says he makes at least Sh70,000 monthly.   

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