Residents lose land to river Nzoia, over uncontrolled sand harvesting

Siaya

Saturday September 2, 2023

KNA by Philip Onyango

Uncontrolled sand harvesting along the banks of River Nzoia has seen the residents of Rapenji village in the South West Alego location, Siaya lose close to 10 acres of farmland to the river.

With no intervention from the relevant government, despite making numerous visits to the authorities, the residents are worried that soon they will lose everything after the river forced a waterway in one of the farms, creating an island.

They now have to use a canoe to reach some of their farms where, ironically, the sand scoopers also continue with their business unabated along the banks.

When a team from the media visited the scene which is situated in Sigoma – Uranga sub location, the residents lamented that the uncontrolled activity has seen the river claim huge tracts of land due to erosion.

According to Sylvester Omondi Odinga, the locals’ complaints are always ignored by the sand scoopers whom, he alleged had the backing of a senior Siaya county assembly official who hails from the neighboring Ugenya sub-county.

Odinga said that food insecurity was a threat to the community as the land that they had used over the years for cultivation was diminishing by the day.

His sentiments are supported by Evelyn Akinyi Ochieng who says that they are always threatened with violence whenever they confront the sand scoopers.

Mrs. Ochieng says that apart from the illegal mining activities by the river bank that exposes their farms to erosion, the sand scoopers also relieve themselves in the river hence polluting the water.

A farm owner, Thomas Owegi Mudura lamented that the government and law enforcement officers have been adamant to tackle their complaints, adding that several of their colleagues who tried to confront the aggressors had in the past been assaulted.

“This year, they slashed one of us with a panga and the case was reported to the police. Last year, they also did the same and no action has been taken to date” complained Mudura.

Lucia Akoth Onyango and George Ouma Ofwona called for quick government intervention to save their farms from being washed away.

Ofwona called on Alego / Usonga member of parliament, Samuel Atandi to urgently intervene and take up the matter with high offices.

Courtesy ; K. N. A