In Karachuonyo, Homa Bay County ODM leader Raila Odinga called for an end to the old culture of building scattered homesteads in the Nyanza region, and instead asked for the consolidation of land to encourage agricultural output and urbanization. Speaking during a fundraiser at Wang’ Adonji SDA Church in Karachuonyo Constituency, Odinga pleaded with the Luo elders to organize the community towards this vital agenda.
Odinga noted that the cultural demand for giving an independent homestead to each son is increasingly becoming difficult, with land shrinking due to the rising population. “What I have noticed is that there is a very big difference in terms of availability of land between today and those days when we were young,” he noted. He spoke of a time when land was in abundance, and parents could offer parcels of land to all their sons without an issue.
In the present situation, he recommended that families should consider combining the construction of houses on a single plot of land and retaining bigger sections for agricultural and development activities. “Land on which they should have constructed dispersed homesteads should be saved for agriculture and other development activities,” he said.
Odinga explained that adopting an urban-type arrangement, where family members build homes close to each other, would facilitate the delivery of basic services such as water, electricity, roads, and health facilities. “Urbanization is the only way to go. Let our elders start promoting the agenda in the community,” he challenged.
The host, HomaBay Governor Gladys Wanga, also added that the sentiments of Odinga, calling on residents to support the ODM party and remain focused on development-oriented politics. “Let all ODM leaders work hard in consolidating the party in their regions,” Wanga stated.
Since Nyanza is finding it difficult to deal with land shortage and urbanization, Odinga’s call for the transformation of cultural norms is aimed at securing a sustainable future for the community. The project not only aims at the supply of houses but also at boosting agricultural production and the availability of necessities to the residents.
