RUTO now wants to sell Galana-Kulalu land to a Dubai firm after failing to produce anything despite pumping billions into the project

Friday, December 20, 2024 – President William Ruto has reportedly given up on the Galana-Kulalu irrigation scheme even after pumping billions into the project.

He now wants to lease the Galana-Kulalu land to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and talks are in top gear.

According to reports, the government is in accelerated talks with an agricultural firm based in Abu Dhabi to lease 200,000 acres at a price of about Ksh103.39 billion.

Principal Secretary for Irrigation Ephantus Kimotho revealed that the deal will be signed early next year.

“We are still negotiating, but we might soon sign a memorandum of understanding,” Kimotho stated during an interview.

Kimotho did not provide more details on the matter, which comes hot on the heels of the government's push to attract more private investors in the country.

The scheme that encompasses approximately 1.75 million acres of land has failed to completely take off despite having an ambitious plan to have all the land cultivated.

At the moment, only 10,000 acres of the land are under cultivation.

This year, the government allocated Ksh100 million towards the completion of the project, which has been allocated millions almost every financial year since 2014.

At a total cost of Ksh7.9 billion, the project is one of the country’s white elephants.

The timing of the deal is likely to raise eyebrows with Ruto’s government already locked in talks with the UAE for a Ksh193 billion loan.

The Kenyan DAILY POST