The tussle in Kenya’s high court between Marsabit County residents and the government over the land used for Africa’s biggest wind farm continues to threaten stability in the area.
The project, which the government regards as its ambition for clean and renewable energy and a symbol of its Vision 2030, was inaugurated by President Uhuru Kenyatta in July 2019. It comprises 365 wind turbine generators, each with a capacity of 850 kW. The total wind farm capacity is 310 MW.
Five years before the farm’s inauguration, the affected communities sued the government for irregular allocation of 150 000 acres of community land in the Sarima area of Loiyangalani District. The land was allocated to Lake Turkana Wind Power Limited for the generation of wind-powered electricity.
The Sarima area, lush plains overlooking Lake Turkana, is home to the minority Rendille, Samburu and Turkana communities. The land has enabled them to sustain their pastoralist lifestyle for centuries, providing alternative grazing and water for livestock and saving them from debilitating drought. The communities use this land as a fall-back during dry seasons due to its rich pasture, and as a gateway to access water for their livestock.
The land has enabled communities to sustain their pastoralist lifestyle for centuries
Rendille elders told ISS Today they regarded it as their traditional cultural site while the Samburu said they traced their origin to one of its water sources. A Turkana village situated on the land at the time the project was initiated has since been relocated into a fenced-off enclosure in the project area. These residents have to undergo vetting to access their homes.
The land issue is accompanied by other grievances related to the project, such as increasing crime and reportedly unfulfilled promises to the communities. Read more…
