Things Fall Apart at Yalla Swamp as US investor quits

A farmer working on her portion of land at Yalla swamp. The offices of Dominion farms Company in Yalla Swamp. The odffices have since been closed. [Photo: Olivia Odhiambo/ Standard]

Two flags ­— of Kenya and the US ­— fly forlornly at what used to be the offices of Dominion Farms Ltd in Yala swamp.

The offices are all locked and the state of one of the flags — it is in tatters — is a clear indication that the American company has no more interest in the farming business.

It has been nine months since Dominion Farms Ltd stopped operations in the area, and the fortunes of the once vibrant Kadenge Ratuoro township in Alego Usonga bear testimony of the current hard times.

Small town

The Dominion Farms factory, standing right in the middle of a small village that grew into a small town, was among the chief drivers of Alego Usonga constituency ‘s economy.

The firm closed, crushing the hopes and economic survival of many residents. The once vibrant and busy small town has remained calm yet seemingly empty with most hotels, shops and kiosks closing due to lack of market.

The heavy farm machinery that rumbled as workers toiled on the farm are no more. The place is as silent as a graveyard at night because the generators that roared into the night are no longer working.

A market centre that once had a fast-growing population is now a pale shadow of itself, nearly one year after the Dominion Farms CEO Calvin Burges closed the company and returned to the US.

Mad rush

Now, it is a mad rush for space as villagers and political leaders in Siaya County scramble for a piece of the expansive and fertile Yala swamp after the exit of the investor.

“It is survival for the fittest here. Everyone is fighting for a piece of the land. Some of the villagers have come from far-flung areas, even outside Siaya, to get farms here,” said Mark Opudo, a resident of Ratuoro where the swamp is located.

He said even senior politicians have allocated themselves huge chunks of swamp land through proxies.

Managers of Dominion Farms left Yala in a hurry last year after Mr Burges suddenly announced he was quitting Kenya over what he termed as unfavourable business environment.

The machinery he left behind were quickly grabbed and auctioned by creditors, who claimed they were owed millions of shillings.

Due to high demand for land and the urge to fight poverty, residents have taken over the wetland and have vowed never to move out. They argue this was trust land.

Cultivation on parts of the swamp goes on unabated despite Government advice against the practice, with most residents using the land to grow crops such as maize, vegetables, millet and sweet potatoes.

Yala swamp is the third largest wetland that covers over 200 square kilometres that acts as a filter for waters that flow into Lake Victoria from two major rivers.

Central Alego MCA Leonard Oriaro, in whose ward the swamp is located, confirmed that over 20 secondary schools were among those cultivating in the swamp.

“The swamp is currently free for all and anyone from anywhere can practice farming here. Many people from different parts of this country are already doing cultivation at the farm,” said Oriaro.

Fredrick Ochieng, a resident and a farmer at the swamp in Kadenge, told The Standard that food insecurity, poverty and unemployment had pushed local residents to invade the swamp.

Mr Ochieng said thousands of acres of the swamp had already been occupied and more was still being cleared by new farmers who have the urge to farm.

Land good

“Those not from within the community get pieces to cultivate through their relatives or friends from within the community. The potential of this land is good when well-managed. In fact it could feed the entire county,” said Ochieng’.

But even as the community invades the swamp to cultivate parts of it, a crucial report lies at the county government awaiting the approval of the Executive for it to be tabled at the county assembly.

The survey is meant to cure the land issue that has caused a standoff between the community and the recently exited investor.

The report released in 2016 observed that the relationship between local residents and Dominion Farms Ltd was very confrontational. This is allegedly because the investor, having made promises to transform the region through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by creating jobs, improving infrastructure and transfer of technology to locals, had failed.

The community, according to the report, should be given 3,000 acres of land.

The community is already cultivating 2,248 acres while 300 acres, which is part of 3,700 hectares leased to the Dominion, was being farmed by the firm but should have been surrendered to the community. This is according to an MoU between the defunct county council and the Dominion farms.

In an interview with The Standard, Lands and Planning Executive Dismas Wakla said that the report was still being worked on, before it could be released to the county assembly for debate.

Mr Wakla argued that matters land, especially those that involve the community, were very sensitive and could not be rushed.

He, however, confirmed that the county government had received reports that there was invasion at the swamp and further on parts of the land meant for Dominion Farms.

“We cannot conclusively confirm these claims but a team has been sent to investigate the matter and give a report to the Lands department.

“As things stand, a substantial part of Yala swamp is still leased to Dominion Farms, according to the lease executed between Dominion and the defunct county council, and nobody should invade it,” said the executive.

The executive, however, clarified that the investor, having left the farms, had created a gap that makes the farm vulnerable to invasion.

Mr Wakla said that invasion of the swamp was illegal, and the local community should wait for the task force report to give way forward on the matter.