- Leaders said the Lapsset project has been marred by many injustices, which must be addressed before Uhuru commissions the first berth.
- Among the issues being raised is the fact that not a single resident of Lamu has been appointed in the Lapsset board of directors.
Lamu leaders have threatened to boycott the commission of the new Lamu port, part of the Lapsset project, slated for November 8 if President Uhuru Kenyatta doesn’t meet them to resolve outstanding ssues concerning the project.
The leaders and the local community have given the president a seven-day ultimatum to meet them failure to which they will mobilise locals and hold demonstrations until they are heard.
They said the Lapsset project is marred by many injustices, which must be addressed before the President commissions it.
Led by Lamu East MP Athman Shariff, the leaders who included MCAs and various civil society organizations, on Sunday marched to the Lamu county commissioner Irungu Macharia's office, whom they presented with their grievances concerning the matter.
The commissioner will then forward the grievances to the Office of the President.
“We have handed our grievances to the commissioner. All we seek is an audience with the President so we know how they will be addressed before November 8. In essence, we are tired as leaders, of the government sidelining us. If in the next seven days, we don’t meet the president, they should be ready for demonstrations against the LAPSSET in a manner never seen before until they listen,” said Sharif.
They said not a single resident of Lamu has been appointed in the Lapsset board of directors.
There is also the issue of the Presidential Scholarship programme where 1,000 youth from Lamu were to undertake courses in port-related matters to enable them get employed at the port when it assumes operations.
The programme was introduced by retired President Mwai Kibaki when he laid the foundation stone for the Lapsset project in 2012.
The recruitment of the beneficiaries was to take place in five trances of 200 students each year.
However, only 400 students have since benefitted from the programme.
The leaders said there has been no communication from the Lapsset board on why the remaining 600 haven’t been absorbed and if they will actually be taken in.
The leaders are also seeking a guarantee that at least 20 per cent of revenues will go directly to the Lamu county government for the development and benefit of the local community.
They also want the government to ensure all those affected following the acquisition of the 70,000 acres at Kililana and Mashunduani are compensated.
Further, they want the over 4000 fishermen displaced by dredging activities compensated for the destruction of their livelihood.
Lamu county assembly Majority leader and Kiunga MCA Abdalla Baabad said just like Turkana has benefitted from the oil discovery, Lamu, too, needs to benefit from the Lapsset.
“Turkana gets 20 per cent from the oil expeditions. Another 5 per cent goes directly to the local community. We just want what rightfully belongs to us. We are not asking, we are demanding,” Baabad said.