§ 114. Mr. Beresford Craddockasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the serious deterioration of the soil in the Machakos area of Kenya; and what steps he proposes to take to deal with this problem.
Mr. DugdaleYes. The Kenya Government is fully aware of the serious situation in Machakos, which has been immensely aggravated by an unprecedented two years' drought. A series of relief and re-settlement areas have been and are being developed, stretching from Kibwezi to Makueni. No less than 132 small dams and 14 large dams have been built in Machakos Reserve during the last three years and much work has been done to rehabilitate over-populated areas. Steps are being taken at present to strengthen staff in the area with a view to obtaining increased co-operation from the local African population without which little real progress can be achieved.