By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 29 January 2026 - The Lake Basin Development Authority has rolled out an expanded programme to unclog blocked canals in Kano Plains, in the lower Nyando River basin, a move leaders say is critical to protecting rice production and cushioning thousands of households against food insecurity.
The exercise, commissioned by LBDA Managing Director Wycliffe Ochiaga together with Nyando MP Jared Okello, comes against the backdrop of intensifying cases of clogged canals that have disrupted water flow into rice fields, threatening yields in one of the country’s key rice-growing zones.
Ochiaga said the intervention was deliberately timed to support farmers ahead of the next planting season, warning that continued blockage of waterways would have far-reaching consequences on food availability and household incomes.
He said restoring the canals was not just about irrigation but about safeguarding livelihoods.
“This exercise is meant to cushion our rice farmers against food insecurity. When canals are blocked, water does not reach the farms, production goes down and families suffer,” he said.
He explained that while the South West Kano–Kanyagwal irrigation schemes were a priority, the authority had widened the scope to include other affected areas such as Ogenya and several smaller schemes within the lower Nyando basin.
According to Ochiaga, the goal is to ensure smooth water flow across the entire irrigation network to boost farming and stabilise production.
The LBDA managing director further revealed that the authority has already spent KSh 30 million mopping up rice from the Ahero market as part of broader market-stabilisation efforts.
He said LBDA received KSh 70 million in the last financial year to buy locally produced rice, a move aimed at insulating farmers and fishermen from exploitation by unscrulous middlemen while guaranteeing them fair returns for their produce.
“We want farmers to be assured that their rice has a market and that they will not be short-changed. That is why we stepped in to mop up rice and stabilise prices,” Ochiaga said.
He assured farmers of sustained support from the authority during both pre-planting and harvesting seasons, adding that LBDA remains committed to long-term food security interventions in the region.
Ochiaga also disclosed plans to unclog at least 20 kilometres of canals along the lakeshore, saying improved water management would significantly enhance agricultural productivity.
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Okello welcomed the intervention, praising LBDA for what he described as a practical demonstration of development-driven leadership.
He said the unclogging exercise would go a long way in reviving rice farming in the area and easing the burden on farmers who have struggled with recurrent flooding and poor drainage.
“This is the kind of partnership our people want to see—institutions that respond when farmers are in distress,” Okello said.
Okello added that he would engage the national government to push for the construction of more dykes to protect farms from floods and complement the ongoing canal rehabilitation works.
He said sustainable flood control measures were necessary to secure farming in the lower Nyando basin.
Thousands of farmers turned up for the exercise, underscoring the urgency of the intervention.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Mr George Aywak thanked LBDA for the timely response, saying the initiative would help avert looming food shortages.
He said restoring the canals would allow farmers to resume normal farming activities and plan with confidence for the coming season.
On Quelea birds, the MP disclosed that they had found a partner to attack the birds from their source using drones.
During the exercise, they did a mock drill of the drone which sprayed birds, scattering them in opposite directions as they flew back to their habitat.
