The legacy of colonial agricultural policy on the socio- economic transformation of Ndalat settlement scheme in Nandi County, Kenya, 1954 - 1992

Abstract

There is evidence of many ambitious Agricultural projects that were established by the colonial government that begun on a sound footing but ended without attaining the intended objectives. The Ndalat Settlement Scheme is one such project. Much as the colonial government had ambitious objectives of transforming agricultural production among the African farmers at its inception, years of political and economic disconnect between the post-independence government and the farmers led to its under performance and subsequent closure. The genesis of the Scheme can be traced back to the African Land Development (ALDEV) of 1947 which sought to tackle emerging issues on land usage crisis. It was followed by the Swynnerton Plan of 1954 which focused on land consolidation and land use intensification. Furthermore, the Land Development and Settlement Board (LDSB) schemes were later established with the aim of integrating Africans into the capitalist economy. As much as at the beginning the Scheme managed to attain a level of economic and social benefits on the people of Ndalat such as development of Cereals and Produce Board which marketed produce, introduction of exotic breeds of animals, construction of schools and health centres, the long-term attainment of the transformation that was intended was compromised by the colonial legacy of governmentality. As a result, the commercialization of smallholder farming systems failed to achieve the desired objectives as farmers went back to the production at subsistence levels. This was escalated during the period of SAPS as from 1980 through to 1992 where prices were compromised as a result of the introduction of free market economy that led to collapse of major agencies that supported the farming enterprise. Therefore, the study traced the historical trajectory of the scheme right from its establishment in the early years of independence to 1992 when it was wound up. The study was guided by four objectives namely: To trace the origins and roots of the Colonial Settlement policy, 1954-1962, Explore the establishment of the Ndalat Settlement scheme in the early years of independence, 1963-1970; discuss the social, political and economic influence of the Colonial Agricultural policy on Ndalat Settlement Scheme, 1970-1980 and to analyse the influence of Structural Adjustment Policies (SAPs) on the Ndalat Settlement Scheme, 1980-1992. The study was founded on interpretivist philosophy and was underpinned by the commercialization and articulation theories which was based on the interpretation of lived experiences of the people coupled with relating them with how the government attempted to commercialize and transform farming but with time failed to do so as intended. The study adopted a historical descriptive design with a sample size of 38 informants aged between 60 and 97 years who were conveniently sampled from among. Interview schedule was the main instrument complimented by documentary review of journal articles, books, archival and government policy documents. The data was transcribed before being subjected to content analysis and presented in thematic and narrative formats. The study traced the roots of the Ndalat Settlement Scheme to the Swinerton Plan of 1954 which was crafted with the intention of quelling rising tensions among Africans on land issues. The study also established that after independence, the ambitious program of the scheme was gradually a host of challenges which by 1992, after the inception of the SAPS (Structural Adjustment Programs), rendered the scheme defunct. Based on the findings, the study recommends that Agricultural policies crafted by the government should be sustainable and this can only be done through ensuring that the objectives that guide the formation of these programs are followed and the challenges arising are countered. At the same time, the study recommends that there should be a discernible nexus between the plans by the political class and the masses so that they are fully embraced and sustained.