accumulation by land dispossession and labor ... - Land Portal

‗to generate electricity (energy)‘; and ‗to engage in the provision of education, health,
water etc.‘
The minutes record that the villagers agreed ―kwa kauli moja‘, that is, ‗in unison‘, to
welcome the investor to continue with activities. According to this record, they also
requested that the investor construct the industry in Kidabaga as it is easily accessible all
the time, the road is stable and is located in the midst of the company‘s area. These
minutes do not record any reservations.
However, a village report of the promotional meeting, dated 17 – 19 October 2006 notes
a number of concerns that were raised. For instance, it was observed that the government
was discouraging people from planting eucalyptus as they were draining water sources
yet one of the strategies of the company was to plant these trees. There were also
concerns about investors dishonoring the contracts/agreements with villagers. They cited
the example of a tea company that had invested in that area in the past and thus wanted to
know the difference between the two companies. Nevertheless, this village document also
concludes, the villagers were ‗convinced‘ to approve the New Forest Company‘s project
of planting trees as soon as in the 2006/2007 season.
But the project did not start in that season. The process of setting it on the ground, as the
district officials consulted insists and the reviewed minutes shows, was indeed long.
Kidabaga‘s Village Council and Village Assembly‘s minutes dated 11 April 2008
indicate that the company was still processing the transfer of land. The former minutes is
entitled ‗KUH: KUHAULISHA ARDHI YA KIJIJI KUWA ARDHI YA KAWAIDA‘,
that is, ‗TRANSFERING VILLAGE LAND INTO GENERAL LAND‘. Similarly, the
latter minutes reads ―YAH: UHAULISHAJI WA ARDHI YA KIJIJI KUWA ARDHI
YA KAWAIDA. KIJIJI CHA KIDABAGA‖, that is, ‗TRANSFER OF VILLAGE LAND
INTO GENERAL LAND: KIDABAGA VILLAGE.‘ In both minutes the government
official who ‗facilitated‘ the meeting informed the attendees that they have come to
finalize their approval of the investor. Tellingly, the former minutes‘ record that the
30