Nairobi: The Yala swamp community in Siaya County is urging the government to expedite the process of registering the wetland as community land, allowing them to have a say in its use.

According to Kenya News Agency, the community members gathered at Musunguru grounds to receive a report from their representatives who visited the National Lands Commission headquarters in Nairobi. They emphasized that registering the land as community property would protect it from land grabbers. The current situation, they claim, favors investors who make decisions about the land’s use and even displace locals from areas they have been farming for subsistence.

The community, led by chairman Okumu Fredrick, expressed their willingness to collaborate with anyone who acknowledges them as the rightful owners of the wetland. Okumu, who participated in discussions at the National Lands Commission with the community representatives, Lake Agro Limited, and the Siaya county government, revealed that all parties unanimously agreed that the current 66-year lease arrangement with the investor was illegal.

‘We agreed that the lease was illegal and that the land belongs to the people,’ Okumu stated. He added that the parties also agreed that the National Lands Commission would hold separate meetings with community leaders, the Siaya county government, and Lake Agro management before convening a joint meeting to determine the best path forward.

Farmer Oriaro Franklin noted that the community has no objections to the investor as long as legal procedures are adhered to in managing the wetland. ‘The issue here is how we can all benefit from the wetland. From this land, we get our food and even sell our harvest to finance the education of our children,’ she explained. Oriaro praised Governor James Orengo and area member of the county assembly David Ragen for their continuous support and urged them to persist in advocating for the community’s interests.

Another farmer, David Juma Agutu, called for peaceful coexistence between the community and the investor, stressing that both parties need each other.