Sugarcane

Cane farmers in Dede Division, Migori County want to be compensated for the massive destruction of their mature crops worth millions of shillings to pave way for construction of new feeder roads.

No prior notice was issued ahead of the demolitions which caught the farmers off guard even as they protested that no road existed in the affected plots going by survey map they had at hand.

Yesterday, a number of the affected growers broke down in tears and shock as they watched in disbelief as the bulldozer razed their ripe cash crops to the ground dashing their hopes of economic gain.

“What a massive loss? Is this really fair?” posed a farmer Barnabas Warida while another farmer Awino Mule blamed the leaders for not sensitizing the community prior and acting unlawfully.

The County wanted to open Saria –Raywer 3 kilometer stretch, but the growers produced a copy of a survey map dating back to 1999 which clearly indicated there was no road at the affected plots as
professed.

The firms had consumed thousands of shillings in fertilizer, weeding and top dressing for over 18 months in preparation for production.

The farmers wondered if the County Authorities, had allegedly become sponsors of “terror” using official and legally sanctioned instruments of violence to do their bidding and tyrannize the poor.

They called the County Roads Officials to voice their dissent
demanding to know how the secretive order for demolitions was granted in contravention of the Land Act.

Speaking to the press at the farm gates, irked cane growers led by
Dede Sub-branch Kenya national sugarcane grower’s union agent, Dominic Akong’o, blamed the Authorities for destroying mature crops.

“The demolitions defy productive logic because we have been ambushed in our private land which we have held for decades and put in equitable production and sustainable use,” he said.

Akong’o called for speedy resolution of the dispute by the Authorities in a viable and profitable manner consistent with the legal statutes.

According to Article, 66 (1), of the Constitution, State may regulate use of any land or any interest in or right over any land in land in defense of public as an order.

The State can also regulate the use of land either as a matter of public health, public morality, safety, or land use planning.

Akong’o said they had not been informed prior that the firms were to be converted for another use without infringing on the rights by any person to hold land or plots under the freehold tenure.

Migori County Director of Roads Elphas Omollo ordered for immediate stop, further demolitions after the area Provincial administrators intervened to end growing protests.

Area MCA Philip Ouma also rushed to the scene and ordered Contractor out of the site and calmed the feuding residents as they charged at the contractor for overlooking the survey map.

Omolo and Ouma said the contractor will be made answerable to the damages.