Turkana residents demand safeguards to ensure local benefit from oil resources

Turkana County residents have urged the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Energy to establish strong safeguards to ensure oil resources extracted from the region directly benefit the local community.

The call was made during an engagement between the committee and members of the Turkana County Assembly, where leaders raised concerns over the utilization of proceeds from the Early Oil Pilot Scheme (EOPS) conducted by Tullow Oil between 2018 and 2019.

Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) argued that communities living in oil drilling areas, as well as the wider Turkana population, did not benefit from the sale of oil despite being custodians of the land where the resource is found. They noted that Turkana has historically faced marginalization and warned against further economic injustice.

Similar concerns were echoed during a public baraza held at Ekalees Centre in Lodwar, where residents demanded greater transparency and accountability in the management of crude oil revenues.

In a memorandum presented by the Council of Elders, the community called for the public disclosure of the EOPS report and the establishment of proper accountability mechanisms to ensure that local communities benefit from what they described as their God-given wealth.

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The demands come amid renewed efforts by Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum Opiyo Wandayi to clarify issues surrounding the pilot project, as the government steps up plans to commercialize oil extraction in Turkana.

Wandayi explained that the EOPS carried out between 2018 and 2019 was not intended to be a commercial production venture, but rather a technical pilot designed to test systems, gather data, and reduce risks ahead of full-scale oil development.

Beyond revenue concerns, residents also appealed to the government to enhance security in the region, citing persistent insecurity between neighboring Turkana and Pokot communities that has plagued the area for decades. They further emphasized the need for locals to be prioritized for employment opportunities arising from oil exploration, both skilled and unskilled, across the entire value chain.

The concerns received backing from the committee’s co-chairs, Oburu Odinga and David Gikaria, who agreed that host communities must receive a meaningful share of benefits from oil extraction.

Oburu said it was time to embrace the opportunity and ensure the country’s resources are fully exploited for the benefit of Turkana residents and Kenyans at large.

By Obegi Malack

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