Shofco Urban Network Nairobi County Chairperson Elizabeth Okumu before National Assembly’s Public Petitions Committee on Monday, September 9, 2024.
Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) defended its petition on Monday, urging the National Assembly to pass legislation allowing the agricultural sector to benefit from the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) to develop irrigation infrastructure in Kenya’s arid regions.
Appearing before the Public Petitions Committee (PPC) chaired by Turbo MP Janet Jepkemoi Sitienei, SHOFCO’s Advocacy Lead, Boniface Gatobu, emphasized that adopting the petition would strengthen the agricultural sector and help alleviate poverty, hunger, and unemployment in the country.
“If this petition is adopted, food insecurity will be a thing of the past. There are areas in this country with fertile land that don’t receive enough rainfall for productive agriculture. We need to amend the law to allow the agricultural sector to benefit from the RMLF,” Gatobu explained.
He further noted that SHOFCO operates in 40 counties across Kenya and has identified areas that would greatly benefit from the fund.
“Why prioritize roads that serve a few car owners when we could use the funds to build dams that support many farmers? Roads are important, but diversifying the RMLF to support irrigation would give Kenyans the chance to grow food for local consumption and export, thereby boosting national revenue,” Gatobu said.
PPC Vice Chair Hon. Sitienei questioned why SHOFCO had not sought funds from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation before proposing changes to the RMLF Act.
“We know water projects fall under the Ministry of Water, and funds are allocated to the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) for such tasks. Why do you need RMLF funds, which have no connection to NIA?” she asked.
In response, Gatobu stated, “Every SHOFCO project arises from community needs. Based on community feedback, we identified agriculture as a key solution to hunger, youth unemployment, and the high cost of living. For example, the ABC-Redhill Ring Road costs Ksh 4 billion and serves about 5,000 cars daily, while Thiba Dam in Kirinyaga County supports 50,000 rice farmers. We believe reallocating some RMLF funds to agriculture would have a broader impact on ordinary Kenyans.”
The petition also calls for amendments to the Irrigation Act (No. 14 of 2019), the Kenya Roads Board Act (No. 7 of 1999), the Road Maintenance Levy Fund Act (No. 9 of 1993), and other relevant laws.
SHOFCO proposes renaming the RMLF to the “Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Levy Fund” to allocate part of the fund to irrigation infrastructure. They also want the National Irrigation Authority to be included as a fund beneficiary, alongside road authorities.
The organization further suggests that NIA should equally distribute the funds from the proposed levy among all 290 constituencies, with each receiving at least Ksh 100 million for irrigation projects, thus enhancing agricultural productivity across Kenya.
According to the 2022 Kenya Economic Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, agriculture contributed 22.4 per cent to Kenya’s GDP, making it the country’s largest sector.
SHOFCO has been actively supporting farmers in various regions, including Rift Valley, Western Kenya, Nyanza, and the Coast.
In March 2023, the organization provided certified maize seeds worth over Ksh 50 million to more than 50,000 farmers in Trans Nzoia, Siaya, Kisumu, and Nyeri counties.
Last month, SHOFCO Founder and CEO Dr Kennedy Odede launched 40 water pans in Siaya County to support irrigation efforts, stating, “Embracing agroecology, fish farming, and sustainable farming practices is about securing a resilient future for generations to come.”
As part of a pilot program, SHOFCO has built 157 water pans across Kenya to assist farmers in dry regions in adopting smart farming practices.
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