The second-phase survey of land earmarked for the Lokichar-Lamu Crude Oil Pipeline has been postponed indefinitely because of the coronavirus.
The 824km pipeline is a key component of the Sh2.5 trillion Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport Corridor (Lapsset) project whose construction is ongoing in Kililana, Lamu West.
The pipeline cuts through six counties – Turkana, Samburu, Isiolo, Meru, Garissa and Lamu.
The preliminary survey was conducted between December 2019 and February this year by a multi-agency team of surveyors from the National Lands Commission (NLC), the Lapsset Corridor Development Authority (LCDA) and other relevant state agencies.
The second phase was to start in April.
Speaking in Lamu on Wednesday, Lapsset regional manager Salim Bunu confirmed that the commencement of the second phase of the survey has been delayed due to the coronavirus situation in the country.
He said some of the surveyors in the team are from outside the country, but they cannot travel to Kenya due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Bunu said the restriction of movement to some counties has also made it difficult for Kenyan-based surveyors to carry out the exercise.
“The first phase is done, and we await a report on the same. The plan was to have the second phase kick off in April but that hasn’t happened due to the Covid-19 situation. We shall however commence when the situation normalises,” he said.
The second survey will help establish the amount of compensation required for each of the affected persons.
"The survey mainly intends to establish exactly what is on the ground –structures, farms, etc. From there, the government will be able to determine issues of compensation,” Bunu said.
In Lamu, the pipeline will run through the Lapsset port area of Kililana, Roka, Bobo, Bargoni and Bodhai junction before crossing into Garissa, Isiolo, Moyale towards Lokichar in Turkana.
Lamu has 23km of the pipeline with a width of about 500 metres, stretching from Kililana all the way to Bodhai Junction.
Edited by A.N
