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LODWAR (Xinhua) --
Transportation of crude oil from Kenya’s Turkana
County in northeast region to the coastal city of Mombasa will
resume next week after protesting residents agreed to end the
blockade, officials and leaders said on Friday.
Residents and their
leaders made the decision to end protest against the truck
ferrying the oil from Ngamia 8 after the government pledged to
improve security in the county and borders.
Rift Valley Regional
Coordinator Mongo Chimwaga and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary John
Munyes brokered the deal after a lengthy deliberation with
lawmakers and elders.
Chimwanga announced
that the concerns raised by the community will be addressed with
immediate effect to ensure Tullow Oil operations resume.
“We had healthy
discussions with the stakeholders and the State has assured
residents of security and issues raised will be worked on.
Trucks transporting crude oil to Mombasa will resume next
Wednesday,” the government official told Xinhua.
He said that
combined teams of security personnel will now be deployed in the
troubled areas to combat cases of banditry and cattle rustling.
“We issued express
directive that police ruthlessly deal with bandits roaming the
region and we will not tolerate political incitement among
communities living in the region,” Chamwanga said.
Munyes who hails
from the county assured that concerns raised by locals on oil
will be taken into consideration.
“We have agreed to
allow the movement of oil to resume after the State promised to
act on the concern of the community,” Turkana South legislator
James Lomenen told Xinhua.
Oil transportation
from the area has been disrupted for one week after residents
blocked trucks carrying the commodity to Mombasa demanding that
the government provide them security and stop external
intrusions.
The locals also
demanded that the oil firm give them priority in tenders and
employment. An official with who declined to be named said the
firm is incurring 2.5 million U.S. dollars in loses every day as
the truck remained blocked by the locals.
“The disruption is a
big loss to us. Some of the machines and equipment we are using
are hired and we are losing 2.5 million dollars daily since the
oil movement was stopped by residents,” said the official.
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EARLIER
REPORT:
Kenya beefs up
security in oil fields amid protests
LODWAR (Xinhua) --
Kenyan authorities said Sunday security has been beefed up at
oil fields in Turkana County, northwest region after protesting
residents stormed the oil field and halt transportation of crude
oil to Mombasa.
Turkan County
Commissioner Seif Matata said tight security has been deployed
at the Ngamia 8 oil site after protesters stormed and broke into
the site which has storage tanks.
“We have deployed a
special security unit to man the oil fields and we are warning
residents against interfering with the operation of Tullow Oil
company,” Matata told Xinhua by phone.
The government
administrator said a special security unit has been formed and
deployed to guard the oil facilities.
Protestors stormed
the site and blocked trucks ferrying crude oil to Mombasa until
the government provide them security following attacks from
armed bandits from neighboring community.
Kenyans had on June
4 welcomed the country’s start of oil exportation with cautious
optimism with President Uhuru Kenyatta telling citizens not to
allow the mineral to turn into a curse for the nation.
Kenyatta flagged off
the transportation of 2,000 barrels of the first batch of crude
oil from Ngamia 8 fields in Turkana for storage at the Kenya
Petroleum Refinery in Mombasa.
Matata who confirmed
the intrusion to the oil site said nothing was stolen. He
assured residents that their demand is handled and will be
solved amicably and urged the community to remain calm.
“The government has
taken up all the concerns you have raised but there is no way we
are going to allow such huge investment interrupted,” he warned
when he addressed residents.
He said demands made
by the community including employment will be addressed through
negotiations with Tullow Oil, adding that residents would be
given first priority.
The official accused
some top leaders in the county of fanning protests to blackmail
the government.
“The government has
have put in place adequate measures to tame cattle raids and the
politicians should stop inciting residents to destabilize
economic activities,” Matata said.
The administrator
said a special unit has also been formed to patrol the
Lodwar-Kitale highway to make it secure to users.
“The government has
deployed a unit to escort trucks and be warned that interfering
with the transportation exercise will land you in trouble,” he
said. |
