[Source: Daily Nation, by Justus Ochieng’]
Yala Swamp communities in Siaya County have a reason to smile after winning a protracted land battle against the giant Dominion Farms Ltd.
Residents had petitioned the National Land Commission (NLC) to right a historical injustice in which their farms were allegedly grabbed by the American firm.
In a March 1 gazette notice, the commission approved their complaints and called for a survey of the land.
“The claim is allowed. The Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning and County Government of Siaya should re-survey the swamp to determine the acreage under Dominion Farms. The commission further recommends that if there is excess land, it should be restored to the affected communities,” the NLC said.
Central Alego MCA Leonard Oriaro, who has led the fight for the land to be given back to the communities, said the verdict was long overdue.
According to the International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), the battle for reclamation of the swamp dates back to 1954 when the colonial government assigned Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners to investigate the potential of wetland reclamation in the region.
The study recognised the high productive potential of Yala Swamp. In 1963 the government requested the United Nations for assistance to execute recommendations of the Gibb report and went ahead to reclaim Yala Swamp, apparently for development activities.
The land was later allocated to Dominion Farms. Mr Oriaro said that returning the property to communities was not enough.
In 2014, Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga formed a taskforce to look into issues of concern for people living around the swamp.
After the team’s report was tabled in county assembly, Speaker George Okode directed that a joint committee be formed to scrutinise it and come up with recommendations.
The committee recommended a fresh survey of Yala Swamp, empowerment of local communities and review of the Dominion MoU and lease documents, among other issues.
After analysing financial records presented to the committee by Dominion Farms manager Philip Abbir, the team concluded that, “It is clear that Dominion is not up to date with payments for the land leased to them as per the MoU.
The committee noted that at the time it met with Mr Abbir in 2015, Dominion Farms owed the county government Sh7,098,600. This is a violation of the MoU, the committee said.
[Source: Daily Nation, by Justus Ochieng’]
