WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF STARTING LAKE BASIN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY?

There are lots of questions that need to be answered amongst the Luos. What were the objectives to start this noble cause? There have been lots of complains that Luo Nyanza is not developed as other parts of the country. Every body in the entire Luo Community would like to know the achievements of this giant project.

There is now the Yala Swamp Project which is owned by a foreigner and he is making millions of money and I am very sure that he is not even investing it in Kenya. It has been the talk of the day that Dominion Farms is the savior of the day. It is my suggestion that whoever is coming to do such kind of giant business has to go through Lake Basin Authority and it had to start with the local people as the Directors and Managers. May I know how many local people are benefiting in terms of schools, roads, health clinics, good pay for the labor, education bursaries and sponsorship granted for the locals from this giant company. It is very sad that our elected leaders are completely ignorant that they don’t even ask the purpose and benefit the community will get out of such project. Who signed for the contract or the lease forms? When will the project be left for the community?

Let us look back to Projects like Nyatike (Macalder)in Kadem or Kitere Gold Mine in Kamagambo. Gold was taken from these locals but where is this Gold right now? There is no single school, health center, roads built , yet this precious stone was extracted from these regions with very cheap(almost nothing) Labor. The laborers worked under very difficult and harsh conditions including loosing their lives with completely nothing in their pockets at the end of the day.

It is high time we question. We live in a modern world and we should not be exploited or misused just for the sake that we are poor and ignorant. It is not bad to ask because the consequences and effects will touch every soul in the entire Luoland.

Luo members of Parliament and those who are informed like Lawyers, Teachers, Engineers, Pastors, please wake up, help the ignorant and let them understand what is going around the world. It is high time people in authority answer these questions !

The Writer is Odhiambo Omolo