Introduction

In recent years, large tracts of land within the Tana Delta and the adjacent districts have been set aside for industrial-scale farming, biofuel production and mining. This is threatening the livelihoods of both pastoralists and farmers. In addition, settlement schemes have taken up some of the most important dry season pastures within the Tana Delta and communities from outside the pastoral areas have been settled there to undertake crop farming. Individual/private ownership of land is increasingly replacing communal ownership. The consequences have included increasing levels of food insecurity in the area.

This chapter reviews the TARDA-Mumias partnership that is envisaged to alienate an additional 40,000ha of land within the delta, and is likely to displace more than 25,000 people in 30 villages from their traditional land. The chapter further provides some insights into other land acquisitions in the delta such as from Bedford Biofuels Inc., Tiomin Kenya Ltd, Galole Horticulture, Mat International and the Emirate of Qatar.

Ethnic conflict between the Pokomo farmers and the Orma and Wardei pastoralists that led to violence and destruction of lives and property in 2012 may have been the result of envisaged resource scarcity triggered by these proposed deals. While the local farmer and pastoral communities were united in their resistance to the deals, they were later set against each other politically, resulting in the loss of almost 200 lives during the conflict that ensued. The manipulation of local communities by government officials and national and local political elites is clearly discernible.

The data for this study were obtained between 2011 and 2013 through a mixture of approaches. Unfortunately, detailed information on land deals is lacking due to the unwillingness of both government and businesses with vested interests to fully disclose information. The research is therefore a picture pieced together from a variety of sources. These include a review of the existing literature, focus group discussions and interviews with key informants including government officials, community leaders, and elders who were able to discuss their perceptions of the projects taking place in the delta and the alienation of their land.