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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I stand to support this Motion. This is a rare investment in this country, particularly in western Kenya in Bondo and Siaya districts where there are no private investors putting in the kind of money that has been put in the Yala Swamp. This is meant to boost development, create employment and motivate the residents of the area. Before I say much about the subject, as an hon. Member of the Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resources, I would like to inform the House that we have visited this project. We have talked to people who are affected by this project. We have also talked to the investor and we are yet to complete our talks with the two local authorities that are affected by this project. We have also talked to the LBDA and other people who claim to be in the civil society that have been raising objections to this project. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as a Committee, although our report has not been brought to the House because we are yet to talk to the two local authorities about this project, we are impressed by the investment. The investment is good and it is doing a lot of good to the local authorities. The LBDA still has a number of issues to raise. Even though we are impressed by the work that is going on there, there are a few things which are still of concern. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are a few things which are of concern to me. First, there is the Environmental Impact Assessment which was yet to be done by the time we visited the place, although I hear it has now been done. That was just one of the issues raised. There is no development which can be done in a virgin environment. You have to disturb the environment. A few birds have to fly away and a few animals have to run around when we are carrying out an investment. An Environmental Impact Assessment was yet to be done, and the report compiled. Some community members raised the issue of increase in the height of the weir because the investor wanted to either keep fish or generate electricity. That necessitated an increase in the height of the weir that had been constructed there. Some consultations had to be done and that was an issue which was left with the investor, to consult the stakeholders around there and see how they could sort out the issue. The LBDA had an issue with the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the investor. However, I think that LBDA also had its problems. We, as a Committee wanted LBDA to find its way around with the investor and sort out the problem. However, as a Committee, we have not compiled our report about that, because we have not finished our work on the ground. As a Member of Parliament and as an interested party since the project is in my province, let me say how much I like the project. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Yala Swamp as the name states, was a real swamp. The whole place was a delta of River Yala. Sometimes ago, the Government of Kenya thought of reclaiming that land and having investment done on it, to boost the economy of the area. So, work was given to LBDA. The LBDA did some investments to boost the economic activities in the region and also created employment. However, somewhere along the way, LBDA activities 3856 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 22, 2006 collapsed. The LBDA was growing rice, sorghum, fruits, and vegetables there. I went there when I was at the University, with a consultancy group and gave my recommendations. Despite that, everything collapsed in the hands of LBDA. So, by the time Dominion Farms Limited (DFL) moved there, there was virtually nothing in the area. The fruits and rice farms collapsed and there was no maize. The land was turned into pasture land. So, when DFL came in, that was a blessing to the region. Maybe, it was not a blessing to LBDA because it had its problems in its MOU arrangements. That area is now benefiting a lot. After all, when we do work, we do it for the communities, for our people and for the people of Kenya. Today, there is a lot of investment that DFL has put in that land. There is now a lot of maize, many fruits and a lot of food in general. Members of the community living in that area are also being given maize for free. They are benefiting a lot. They would not get this free maize during the days of the LBDA. The LBDA created employment, but the number of employment opportunities that have been created by the DFL in that region are amazing. There is a lot that the community is benefitting from. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, fish will soon be bred in that area. The investor says that he will allow the locals to breed their own fish from the small lake he will create by damming the water. On bee keeping, certain members of the community in that area have already been taken to a workshop on how to keep bees and produce honey. Some people have already been given beehives. These are activities this community never engaged in. Is this not an investor worth supporting? Already, the road network in that area has been improved. From the dam that has been dug, the DFL will generate electricity. The DFL have pledged that they will supply electricity to the locals. They have put up---"
}