Turkana county commissioner Wambua Muthama has told youths to stop plans of disrupting transportation of crude oil from the area to Mombasa.
Wambua said the youths want all the jobs in Lokichar oil basin without considering job seekers from other communities.
On June 27 last year, the early oil pilot scheme was halted by residents just days after President Uhuru Kenyatta flagged off trucks loaded with crude oil from Ngamia 8 to Mombasa.
Residents demanded the government address insecurity that led to deaths, job opportunities and tenders.
The government deployed more security officers and a grievances management committee.
“Youths should reason when asking for more job opportunities and pushing Tullow Oil Company to offer them jobs. The oil is for all Kenyans," Wambua said.
"We understand not everyone can be employed by Tullow Oil Company but let’s learn to appreciate what we have. The majority of workers are from Turkana.”
The administrator said he did not understand how youths come up with idea of demanding that all truck drivers transporting crude oil from Lokichar must be Turkana.
He warned them to desist from ethnic profiling that will not help Kenya to develop.
He said the process of oil trucking is intact and must not be disrupted.
“If the youth from West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Nairobi and Lamu counties could decide to protest for jobs and to drive trucks of crude oil, then the early pilot scheme will be dead. Let us unite to work and see our oil in the market,” he said.
