By Bondry Kilenga March 11, 2025
KOTIDO: The students, tutors of Kotido technical Institute and the neighboring communities now have a reason to smile following the commissioning of a solar powered micro irrigation scheme worth Shs40 Million.
The scheme constructed in September, last year under the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer Project (UgIFT) funded by World Bank, was commissioned on Monday by Kotido Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Charles Ichogor who was accompanied by other district dignitaries.
The micro scale irrigation scheme is part of national policy to increase irrigated agricultural land by 2040.
Speaking at the launch, Bernard Otim, the Kotido District Agriculture officer said that the micro scale irrigation scheme was initially awarded to Kotido government prisons who declined to take it up citing the challenge of limited land, an allegation this reporter couldn’t independently verify with the prison authorities.
“When Kotido government prison rejected the scheme, the district decided to award it to Kotido Technical Institute who embraced the project”, Otim added.
According to him, the micro scale irrigation scheme would go a long way in boosting the growing of vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbages, onions, egg, plant green pepper, water melon and carrots throughout the year.
“Kotido district and Karamoja as a region experience prolonged drought negatively impacting on farmers who depended on rain feed agriculture but with the scheme in place, the school will now be able to produce enough vegetables to supplement the school feeding program”, Otim said.
“Apart from enabling the school to produce vegetables throughout the year, he (Otim) revealed that scheme will also enable the students and the nearby farmers to acquire hands on skills in best agricultural practices”, has he explains.
The Kotido district authorities were however dissatisfied with the management of the institution for their reported failure to utilize the irrigation project.
However, Patrick Odongo, the Deputy Principal Kotido Technical Institute said that the micro scale irrigation scheme was installed when the school was closing for third term holidays.
Odongo assured the district leadership that the school is committed to make the best use of the project to grow vegetables to supplement the students and teachers’ diet.
Through the production of vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbages, onions, egg, plant green pepper, water melon and carrots throughout the year, the school would also be able to save money.
Meanwhile the Kotido RDC Charles Ichogor while commissioning, the scheme cautioned the institute administration guard the scheme against vandalism.
He stated that government has injected a lot of money into this project and saboteurs shall be dealt in accordance with the law.
MORE ABOUT THE MICRO SCALE IRRIGATION PROGRAM
The Micro scale irrigation program is led by the Department of Agricultural Infrastructure Mechanization and Water for Agricultural Production (DAIMWAP) of Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF).
The program in district level is implemented by the production department.
The main aim of the Micro Scale Irrigation program is to enhance the uptake of cost-effective micro-irrigation technology by farmers in Uganda so as improve farm productivity and their standard of living.
The program is part of Uganda’s National Irrigation Policy which aims to create more irrigated land by the year 2040.
