By Otieno Amisi
Recently, Kenya Times was an unwelcome guest at the trouble-ridden Yala Swamp. Photographer David Gichuru and I were roughed up and almost lynched by a mob who were allegedly revenging against recent ‘negative’ media reports.
We were briefly detained at the farm’s security office and our camera, press cards and mobile telephones confiscated before police came to our rescue.
The swamp, being trust land, remains public property. A road has been mercifully rehabilitated across it, and there are no notices prohibiting entry or taking of photographs.
The trouble here is purely a matter of public relations gone sour. Dominion farms Limited, a rich American company, is trying to revive a noble project that the government failed to implement through the botched up Lake Basin Development Authority, thanks to corruption and bad management.
Our investigations reveal that people and organisations with vested interests are trying to scuttle the project, spreading dangerous and malicious rumours, and creating unnecessary animosity among local people.
Dominion Farms entered an agreement with Siaya and Bondo County Councils to develop Lake Kanyaboli in Alego and Yimbo areas.
Such an interface is probably the only way for a struggling economy like Kenya’s; it will create jobs, inject much needed funds into the local economy, uplift living standards and aid in technology transfer. Even in its current infancy, it is already doing these in a region that is one of the poorest in the country.
Part of the trouble is that the people’s expectations are too high. Work had been going on until recently when NGOs, political leaders, opinion leaders and a few members of the local population have turned against the project.
What Dominion needs to do is come clear on its operations, make public the agreements between itself and the county council, painstakingly explain to the public all possible negative side effects of the project and what measures it is putting in place to forestall or curb the inevitable hazards.
The frenzied mob that attacked us at Siaya muttered things like too few development projects in Nyanza and questioned the media’s sense of patriotism.
While it is true that such bickering will definitely put off many more potential investors, it is upon Dominion to meet the people’s needs halfway by investing more visibly in social amenities like schools, roads and healthcare.
Dominion must explain away the rumours and controversies surrounding its operations. Some of these are outright lies and founded on malice, while some could have scientific basis.
But it is upon the firm to dispute them. Like the allegations concerning genetically modified organisms, the use of restricted chemicals like DDT, and the threat to rare fish, bird, plant and animal species.
