- Businesses in Lamu island were on Friday paralysed after hundreds of fishermen stormed the Kenya Ports Authority offices demanding their money.
- during the protests, the fishermen demanded full compensation in cash saying they had lost faith in the government and the compensation process.
Hundreds of fishermen whose livelihoods have been affected by the newly opened Lamu port-LAPSSET took to the streets and on sea on Friday to protest delayed compensation from the government.
Following a successful petition, the Malindi High Court in May, 2018 ruled in favour of the fishermen indicating that the project had failed to meet basic constitutional and legal requirements.
As such, the court awarded a compensation package of Sh1.76 billion to 4,734 fishermen as the port project violated the community’s cultural rights.
They were to receive the monies before May 15 to pave way for the opening of the port on May 20.
However, that did not happen, leaving the fishermen bitter and feeling shortchanged.
Dredging activities at the port caused the closure of many traditional fishing sites in the Indian ocean and subsequently rendered thousands of fisher folk without a source of livelihood.
The fishermen are demanding to know their fate and when they will be paid.
Businesses in Lamu island were on Friday paralysed after hundreds of fishermen joined by Community Based Organisations like Save Lamu, stormed the Kenya Ports Authority offices demanding their money.
In a prior agreement between the fishermen and the KPA, 65 per cent of the compensation was to be in cash while 35 per cent was to be in form of fishing gear.
However, during the protests, the fishermen demanded full compensation in cash saying they had lost faith in the government and the compensation process.
Lamu Fishermen Association spokesperson Mohamed Somo said they felt cheated, used and coerced by the government into seeking an out-of-court resolution to the matter.
The fishermen want an independent body formed and tasked with the compensation process as they had lost faith in the KPA.
“Its clear that KPA wants to frustrate us and we would rather deal with some other body or entity. We already feel cheated," said Somo.
The fishermen said the lack of communication from the government even after May 15 was enough indication that they were being played.
“They opened the port before honouring their end of the deal. They haven’t talked to us and we are interpreting their silence to mean they want war,"said fisherman Omar Ali.
The fishermen said they would not accept anything less than 100 per cent cash compensation and that the government should stop bothering with how they will spend the money once they get it.
“They say they will give us 65 per cent cash and 35 per cent equipment. Their explanation is that we will squander if they give us 100 per cent cash. My question is, how is that their business. Let them give us our money and let us be," said Somo.
Save Lamu was among key petitioners in the case where the fishermen were awarded the Sh.1.76 billion by the Malindi High Court.
“It’s our belief that the state will respect the court and compensate them but if that doesn’t happen we go back to court," said Save Lamu chairperson Mohamed Athman.
-Edited by SKanyara