ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF

IRRIGATION WATER-USE INMWEA IRRIGATION

SCHEME, KIRINYAGA DISTRICT, KENYA
Owilla Benedict Peter Obiero M.Sc
Department: Geography
Supervisors: Dr. George L. Makokha
Prof. Chris A. Shisanya
Given the increasing freshwater scarcity, the performance of irrigation is critical in
increasing and sustaining agricultural productivity in the water-scarce and largely
arid and semi-arid Kenya. Irrigation currently accounts for most of the water
withdrawals in the country, and the required improvement in the performance of
irrigation is hampered by inadequate benchmarks upon which to base effective
planning. This study was conducted between September and October 2008 to
analyze the economic efficiency of irrigation water-use in Mwea Irrigation Scheme in the Upper
Tana River Basin in Kirinyaga District, Kenya. The objectives of thestudy were to determine
response of rice yields to the quantity of irrigation water used in Mwea Irrigation Scheme, the
economic water-use efficiency, and the mainfactors explaining the efficiency. This required data on
quantities of water withdrawn for irrigation, irrigated land area, working capital, labour and rice
output, as well as other technical and socio-economic features of the irrigators.
Questionnaires and field observations were used to collect secondary data on these
variables from a sample of 121 out of the 4,189 rice farms. Descriptive statistics,
regression and correlation tools were used for data analysis. The results were
presented in form of tables, plates and graphs, from which discussions, conclusions,and
recommendations were made. The study revealed that the quantity of irrigation water as was used
had positive but insignificant effect on rice output, probably implying over-use of water. Technical,
allocative, and overall economic (cost) water-use efficiencies in the Scheme were 69%, 91%, and
63% respectively.
Further, technical efficiency was explained mainly by the actual duration of land
preparation, water conflicts, drain water re-use, and availability of water in the canal.
It is recommended that technical and institutional changes be made in order to
improve technical efficiency of water use in the Scheme. Specifically, these include dry land
preparation, shortening of land preparation period, cultivation of more water-efficient rice varieties,
non-flood weed control, and construction of large-scale water storage infrastructure. Other
recommendations are canal lining, installation of water control structures, drain water re-use,
capacity-building of IWUAs, and integrated approaches to water management in the Thiba and
Nyamindi river basins.
This study contributes to effective and efficient decision-making on irrigation
planning and management in Mwea Scheme. It will also facilitate the development
and implementation of the National Irrigation Policy that is currently being
formulated. In addition, it is expected to generate more interest in irrigation research in Kenya to help
achieve the national macroeconomic development objectives of poverty alleviation, food security,
employment creation, and industrialization.