Residents of Ndego sector in Kayonza district are appealing for the extension of irrigation facilities near Lake Rwakibare to alleviate drought that has plagued the area for years.

Climate change has resulted in reduced agricultural production, leaving many farmers like Emmanuel Tuyishimire, a former farmer turned builder, struggling to provide for their families.

"Drought is a challenge for our region; previously, we used to harvest because we had rain, but climate change has brought drought, and we no longer get yields from our gardens." Tuyishimire said, adding that he had to give up farming and look for another job to provide for his family of four.

Speaking to The New Times about the residents’ concerns, Kayonza district mayor John Bosco Nyemazi stated that expanding irrigation facilities near Lake Rwakibare will necessitate large investments to serve all drought-affected residents.

Nyemazi added that the Kayonza Irrigation and Integrated Watershed Management Project (KIIWP) is one of those projects which aims to contribute to poverty reduction in drought-prone areas by sustainably improving food security and boosting climate resilience.

"Over 2,000 hectares of land in the Ndego sector have been consolidated, and phase I of the irrigation infrastructure is being built. The project will benefit 3,500 inhabitants in the drought-prone region; we can guarantee locals that this is one of the solutions that will help limit climate change and help them enhance production in their region."

The project will cost around $61 million and is scheduled to end on December 31, 2028, after its two implementation phases.

However, delays in signing the financial aid agreement with the Government of Spain have pushed phase II forward to FY 2023/2024, hampering the project's implementation.

Upon completion, irrigation facilities will be provided to the inhabitants of Ndego, most of whom are farmers, to help enhance their productivity by irrigating their drought-affected farms.