The Ministry of Water and Environment (MoWE) has successfully implemented a solar-powered irrigation scheme in Lulikoyo Village, Osukuru Town Council, Tororo District, transforming local agriculture and boosting livelihoods.
The Shs 653.3 million (€161,000) Lulikoyo-Agwara ‘A’ irrigation project, co-funded by the Government of Uganda and UK Export Finance and implemented through Nexus Green Limited, initially faced skepticism from residents due to past concerns over land acquisition in the mineral-rich Osukuru hills region.
Emmanuel Oketcho, a resident of Lulikoyo Village, recalled the early doubts. “At first, nobody knew what was happening. Tororo is mineral-rich, and we feared land grabs. But when the pipes were opened, people came in large numbers. The project brought engineers and an agronomist to work with us,” he said.
Following extensive community sensitization led by Nexus Green, perceptions began to shift. Hellen Alupo, community liaison officer for Nexus Green in Teso and Karamoja, emphasized the importance of addressing misinformation.
“Some area MPs previously advised locals not to accept government projects, calling them land-grabbing schemes. I engaged communities directly, assuring them these initiatives are funded by taxpayers’ money for their benefit,” she said.
Oketcho eventually offered all five acres of his land for the scheme after learning it would draw water from the nearby Osia Stream without displacing residents. Today, 24 farmers—14 women and 10 men—participate in the project, growing tomatoes and onions on quarter-acre plots instead of traditional crops like yams.
Bruno Byembabazi, an Irrigation Support Officer with Water for Production Regional Centre – East, highlighted the economic benefits.
“Tomatoes mature one and a half months after transplanting, onions after two and a half. From a quarter-acre, a farmer can earn between Shs 3 million and Shs 5 million if managed well,” he said.
The solar-powered irrigation project began in 2021 with detailed feasibility studies to ensure water availability and system sustainability.
According to Yusuf Mutebi, a project engineer with Nexus Green for the eastern region, the Lulikoyo system covers 3.61 hectares of irrigable land and draws 18 cubic metres of water per hour from River Osia, where a valley dam was constructed.
“The system runs entirely on solar energy using 36 panels, each with a 475-watt peak. It has two reservoirs with a combined capacity of 40 cubic metres and employs laser spray irrigation technology,” Mutebi said.
This initiative exemplifies Uganda’s commitment to sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and community empowerment. Early results suggest that once farmers experience the returns from high-value crops, they are unlikely to revert to traditional staples, heralding a new era of prosperity for rural communities in Tororo.