This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
On September 29, 2019, the National Land Commission (NLC) ordered a fresh survey in Yala swamp after the local community petitioned the commission. The community had petitioned the NLC after the High Court dismissed a suit against Dominion Farms eight years ago.
According to a Gazette notice published on March 1, the NLC approved the community's complaints and recommended that the Ministry of Lands and Siaya County Government re-survey the swamp to determine the acreage under Dominion Farms, which had since left the swamp.
Today, the Secretary of Support Community in Democracy Alliance (SCODA) Mr. Rodgers Ochieng' emphasized the importance of registering the land under community name. Speaking to The Standard in Bondo town, Ochieng stated that the community needs to understand that they will only be able to have a voice when a new investor wants to come into the swamp if they lawfully register the community land.
“Should the community fail to register the swamp in their name, they will not be in a position of assisting with the decision making on which investor that can be allowed into the swamp,” argued Ochieng.
He urged the residents to unite and show the government their intention to register the land under community name. The expansive agricultural complex has been lying idle since November 2017 when Dominion Farms exited, citing an unstable political environment that was not conducive for business.
