BUKOBA: RESIDENTs of Mwanza, Geita, Kagera, Mara, Simiyu and Shinyanga regions have expressed joy following reports that the government is finalising plans to revive the long-awaited Ngono River project.
Daudi Rutakurembelwa (67), a resident of Rukulungo Village in Missenyi District, said implementation of the long-anticipated project will significantly boost the region’s economic development.
“For a long time, people in Mwanza, Geita, Kagera, Mara, Simiyu and Shinyanga have been eagerly waiting for the Ngono River project, which has the potential to transform the region’s economy. The Kagera Basin holds vast opportunities for win–win development that could enhance food production, energy supply, transportation, industrial growth, environmental conservation and other sustainable activities,” he said.
Saverina Kolushusho (58), a resident of Kamishango Village in Muleba District, expressed similar optimism, describing the project as a golden opportunity. “This ambitious project is expected to significantly strengthen the country’s food reserves,” she said.
Former Deputy Minister for Agriculture, David Silinde, recently told Parliament in Dodoma that the Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Irrigation Commission, has completed the feasibility study and detailed design for the project.
“The procurement process to secure construction contractors for the schemes is now underway. The Ngono River Basin is among the 22 strategic basins identified for extensive irrigation farming development,” he said.
He added that the construction of irrigation schemes in the Ngono River Basin—one of the key agricultural areas in the Kagera Region—is scheduled to begin this financial year, following the completion of detailed studies and the ongoing procurement procedures.
He further said that the particular basin encompasses irrigation areas across Bukoba, Missenyi and Muleba Districts. These include various schemes such as Kyabalamba, Katoro, Ngarama, Kyakakera, Kyabajwa, Kabajuga, Kaibanja, Kishenge, Minazi and Buterankuzi in Bukoba. Nkenge, Kafunjo, Butulage, Buchurago and Bulembo Kusini in Missenyi and Ikondo, Buyaga, Buhangaza, Muhutwe, Katoke, Kagoma and Kikuku in Muleba. The total area suitable for irrigation farming within this basin exceeds 16,000 hectares.
The Ngono River Basin, specifically the Missenyi section, has been the subject of a feasibility study conducted through the broader Nile Basin Initiative underscoring its regional significance.
The government plans to invest in irrigation farming covering 11,700 hectares within the Ngono River Basin over the next five years. This ambitious project is expected to significantly bolster the country’s food reserves. The project also aims to enhance water access, potentially including the development of groundwater resources and includes efforts to prevent contamination.
Kagera, a vital agricultural area, shares borders with four other nations-Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and even Kenya across Lake Victoria, offering substantial agribusiness potentials. Moreover, the Kagera Region serves as a primary selling Centre for various agricultural products destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan enhancing its economic importance.
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Kagera basin holds significant opportunities for win–win development that could enhance food production, energy availability, transportation, industrial development, environmental conservation and other related sustainable development activities. Cooperative water resources management offers unique opportunities as catalysts for greater regional integration both social-economic and political with potential benefits exceeding those derived from the river itself. This requires a basin-wide approach to management through a framework for sustainable trans boundary development and management of the water resources.