A fiery debate has erupted on social media after a X user, I am Chege, posted a thread about the collapse of Dominion Farms in Usonga, Siaya County.
The post, which quickly went viral, called out political leaders—specifically ODM Party leader Raila Odinga—for allegedly sabotaging a project that once employed over 10,000 youth.
Chege’s post read: “Dominion Farm, Prime Harvest employed over 10,000 youths from Usonga. Their work was just to chase birds destroying rice for a few hours and wait for a minimum of 10k per month.
ODM leader Hon. Raila Odinga. Photo: Raila Odinga Source: Facebook
“Dominion built schools, roads, and a dispensary. Do you know what happened to Dominion? He was chased away. Youths are now jobless in Usonga. Wacha niseme initoke Leo!”
For many Kenyans, the story hit hard. Dominion Farms wasn’t just about jobs—it was about transformation.
The farm turned Yala Swamp into a bustling agricultural hub. Locals earned steady incomes, roads were built, schools were put up, and Usonga Dispensary became the only place in Nyanza with anti-venom.
But the farm’s CEO, Calvin Burgess, has a different version of why Dominion closed. Back in 2018, he claimed that Raila Odinga and his allies pressured him to fund ODM’s political activities.
ODM party leader Hon Raila Odinga speaks during a past meeting
When he refused, Burgess said the politicians turned on him. He accused Raila’s allies, like Leonard Otieno Oriaro who became MCA of Usonga of frustrating the farm and demanding more land.
According to Burgess, threats, harassment, and goons hired to attack his staff forced him to pack up and leave. Siaya Governor Cornell Rasanga was also mentioned for allegedly piling on pressure to seize the land.
Now, the finger-pointing has come back to life on Twitter. Frustrated Kenyans are questioning why leaders prioritize politics over progress.
“So thousands of youth are jobless because of politics? This is selfishness at its peak,” one user commented.
Whether Raila and other leaders will respond remains to be seen. For now, Usonga is a ghost of what it could have been—and people haven’t forgotten.
