Parliamentary committee takes on Rasanga in Yala row

Parliamentary committee on lands Interim chair George Oner (left) with Ndaragwa mp Francis Nderitu addressing the press in Kisumu on March14 2016. PIC BY COLLINS ODUOR

A parliamentary committee has accused the Siaya Governor of fuelling the land dispute pitting the local community against Dominion Farm.

The Lands team, which held a public forum in Bondo claimed governor Cornel Rasanga was compromised in the 20,000-acre Yala Swamp row.

 Interim chairman and Rangwe MP George Oner, who led the 12-member team at the forum, said Mr Rasanga deliberately skipped the event. Mr Oner said even after official invites were made to the governor, he neither responded nor sent a representative to the forum.

"We were surprised that the governor could miss such an important event even after such grave accusations were made against him," said Oner.

The committee is now set to summon the governor, the management of the farm and the National Land Commission to appear before it next week to shed more light on the issue. The long-standing dispute has in the recent times threatened the existence of the farm, with residents calling for the termination of its lease.

The members of the community were allegedly displaced from the swamp by floods over two decades ago. The arrival of Dominion Farm was, therefore, a relief since they were to reclaim 50,000 acres of the swamp and give a portion back to the community.

After the reclamation, the county government declined to give the community land as greed, giving rise to the dispute. The community was forced to petition the National Assembly to intervene.

The committee now says there is merit in the community's claims, a situation that ought to have been taken care of by the county government.