International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296 Volume 7 Issue 10, October 2018 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Work Related Ill Heath among Farm Workers at Ahero Irrigation Scheme, Kenya Charles Mburu 1 , Robert Kinyua 1 , George Karani 2 , Ciira Kiiyukia 3 1, 2 Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya 3 Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK 4 Mt Kenya University, Kenya Corresponding author: Charles Mburu, Institute for Energy and Environmental Technology, JKUAT, Kenya; Phone: +254 722324021 Abstract: The Kenya government has identified agriculture as one of the drivers to its vision of becoming a middle income country by the year 2030 since it is one of the key drivers of the economy. To achieve the vision, it intends to increase the land under irrigation and facilitate provision of inputs and value addition of the crops that will be produced. The aim of this research was to evaluate the work related ailments that affect the farm workers at Ahero irrigation scheme that may make it difficult for the government to achieve its vision. Data was collected from 4 health care providers located within the rice growing section of Ahero by use of a questionnaire. The HCP was required to fill in ten endemic ailments attended to on a daily basis at their facility which included both public and private facilities. The study identified malaria to be the most prevalent ailment in the irrigation scheme at 39.3% which was higher than the national data of 18.7%. All the HCPs recorded treating cases of malaria and wounds while private HCPs recorded higher cases of STI than the public ones. Other ailments reported in the scheme includes gastrointestinal ailments (11.1%), skin ailments (10.7%), Pneumonia (8.6%) and wounds (10.4) among others. The study concluded that farm workers at Ahero irrigation scheme were at a greater risk to work related diseases than the rest of the population. The study recommends development of malaria prevention strategy and education on hygiene and safe system of work in addition to provision of clean drinking water and good sanitation in the farms. Keywords: farm workers, irrigation scheme, work related ailments, occupational hazards 1. Introduction Agriculture is the mainstay of the Kenyan economy directly contributing 26 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually, and another 25 per cent indirectly. The sector accounts for 65 per cent of Kenya’s total exports and provides more than 70 per cent of informal employment in the rural areas (Government Of Kenya [GOK], 2010) (GOK, 2015). Therefore, the agricultural sector is not only the driver of Kenya’s economy but also the means of livelihood for the majority of Kenyan people. The Kenyan Vision 2030 identifies agriculture as a key sector in the strategy that will drive the country in to realizing the targeted average GDP growth rate of 10% annually in the next 25 years. The sector will therefore be expected to open new frontiers and provide opportunities for growth (GOK, 2007). In achieving the vision, the Government of Kenya plans to increase productivity through provision of widely accessible farm inputs and services by increasing the land under cultivation through irrigation of idle land in the arid and semi- arid lands. Value addition of the crops produced is another area that the Government has identified as a driver to the improved economic performance (GOK, 2015). The envisaged increased land use combined with the increase in productivity by use of fertilizers and chemicals and investment in machinery and technology for value addition has the effect of increasing the occupational safety and health risks within the agricultural sector.The aim of this study is to evaluate work related diseases among farm workers in public irrigation schemes in Kenya. The Ahero Irrigation Scheme is located in the Kano plains between Nandi Escarpment and Nyabondo Plateau within Muhoroni Sub County of Kisumu County (figure 1). The scheme was started as a pilot project to explore the feasibility of irrigation in the Kano Plains. Construction of the scheme started in 1966 and operations started in 1969 (National Irrigation Board [NIB], 2017). The main crop grown at Ahero irrigation scheme is rice. Other crops include Soybeans (seed and commercial), watermelon, maize, tomatoes, sorghum and cowpeas. In the year 2014, Ahero irrigation scheme had 946 plot holders cultivating 1,215 hectares of land that yielded 8,326 tons of rice (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics [KNBS], 2014). Ahero, like other public irrigation schemes in Kenya, is managed by the National Irrigation Board (NIB). The board was established and incorporated in 1966 as a state corporation through the Irrigation Act, Cap 347 of the laws of Kenya. Among the mandates of the board are: - Coordination of construction and rehabilitation of major irrigation and drainage infrastructure; operation and maintenance of major irrigation and drainage infrastructure; administering land in the public schemes and providing technical advice to farmers. NIB undertakes the development, operation and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure through which it conveys irrigation water to the crop land (Mburu, Kinyua, Karani & Kiiyukia, 2018). Paper ID: ART20191704 DOI: 10.21275/ART20191704 280