Socio-Economic Effects of Small Holder Irrigation in Tana Delta Irrigation Project –Tana River County

The purpose of this study was to establish the socio-economic effects of small holder irrigation in Tana Delta Irrigation Project in Tana River County. The study was guided by the following objective: to find out if the Tana Delta irrigation scheme has improved food security for the people in that area. The study used a descriptive research design which is under quantitative research approach. The target population comprised of all the households around Tana Delta Irrigation Scheme with a total of 2490. The study was based on the Freirean theory of dialogue and society and the resource dependency theories that have linkages with the involvement of people in sustainability of projects. The sample size was 10% of the population. The research used a structured questionnaire for data collection. Results from the study established that the irrigation had enabled the farmers to increase their yields as well as diversify their crops. However, the study revealed that food was not readily accessible to all households and that the food available was not adequate in quantity and quality. The study recommends that the government should allocate more funds to the TDIP so as to strengthen it and expand it more. It is recommended that the County Government of Tana River should allocate funds to improve the infrastructure in the area as will ease the accessibility of the farms and enable the households to get all the food they required to feed their family in time. Key Words: Socio-economic, Irrigation, Food Security