Government Support Services And Sustainability Of Small Scale Irrigation Farming Projects In, Kisumu County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Agriculture is a dominant sector of the Kenyan economy and contributes 25 percent of the GDP.

Being the highest foreign exchange earner Growth is anticipated to propel the fulfillment of the

2030 vision. In line with the GoK initiatives various government agencies have initiated

irrigation projects over the years, in particular small scale irrigation projects with great emphasis

on sustainable development. So that food supply in the country is safe, the government has

advocated for minimal dependence on rain-fed agriculture and embarked on establishing small

holder irrigation projects in the country, under strategy for revitalizing agriculture. Nonetheless,

much of the projects once launched and introduced fail shortly after the execution organization

drops out on investments by way of weak performance, thereby threatening sustainability.

Therefore this study sought to determine the relationship between government support services

and sustainability of Small Scale Irrigation Farming projects in Kisumu County, Kenya. The

specific objectives guiding the study were to find out the effects of subsidy, marketing support,

diversification and extension service on sustainability of small scale irrigation farming projects

in, Kisumu County, Kenya. The study was anchored by Stakeholder Theory, Contingency

Theory and Resource Based Theory. This study employed a descriptive research design. The

target population in the small scale irrigation farming projects in Kisumu county was 4,000

farmers which included project officials that is, the chairman of water users association, project

secretary and block leaders from Nyachoda, Awach, Gem-Rae , Nyakalewa, Kasiru-Kolal,

Sisso,Anyuro,Arombo, Siamy and kotieno small scale irrigation projects, located in Nyando

Sub-county since a large population of most small-scale irrigation farmers are located in this

Sub-county. The study adopted simple random sampling to select sample size of 102

respondents. The study utilized primary data which was collected using questionnaire. Data was

collected using closed ended questions. In administering the questionnaires, a drop and pick later

method was adopted. An overall Cronbach alpha of 0.8088 was obtained which indicated that the

research instrument was reliable. Further, the diagnostic tests were carried out which include;

correlation, multicollinearity, normality and heteroscedasticity. The analysis of research data was

based on descriptive and multiple regression analysis. The research results indicated that a unit

increase in government subsidies leads to a significant and positive increase in sustainability of

small holder irrigation projects by 0.779 times with a p value of 0.003. One unit increase in

marketing support holding other factors constant leads to a significant increase in the

sustainability of small holder irrigation projects by 1.041 times; p value of 0.000. Further,

financial diversification has a significant increase in the sustainability of small holder irrigation

projects by 0.330 times; p value is 0.034. Lastly, one unit change in extension services has a

significant decrease in small holder irrigation projects by 0.572; p value is 0.026. An R2 of 0.706

was obtained which means that government subsidy, marketing support, financial diversification

and extension services explain 70.6% of the variation in changes in the sustainability of small

holder irrigation projects. The study concluded that government support services are key in

enhancing small scale irrigation projects sustainability in Kisumu county Kenya and it also

recommended that government support services should be continuously provided to small scale

irrigation project farmers’ in Kisumu county in order to boost irrigation projects’ sustainability.