Water, business woes in Turkana as Tullow standoff persists

Delay in resumption of oil operations in Turkana County is causing a lot of misery to a section of residents living at oil sites in Turkana South and Turkana East sub-counties.

This is after Tullow Oil evacuated its workers following a series of protests by locals backed by their leaders from June 27. Residents started by blocking five trucks transporting oil along Lokichar-Kapenguria highway, but it spread into Ngamia 8 oil storage site with demands of security, fair share of jobs and tenders.

Evacuation of workers has seen critical services like water provision to residents near oil sites either scaled down or cut off.

Local businesses have also scaled down especially at Lokichar along Kitale-Lodwar road.

READ: Cost of Turkana oil impasse now rises to Sh200m

Most affected businesses are hotels and accommodation, transport and fuel services. Other locals, mostly casual workers at oil sites, are now jobless.

A local leader Samwel Lomodo told Business Daily that residents and their livestock have been left exposed after British oil exploration firm cut water supply. Mr Lomodo said the Nayenae-ereng, Dapar, Lokitoliwo, Lotimaan, Lomokomar and Nakukulas villages inhabited by pastoralists were the most affected.

Tullow trucks water to residents and also fuels generators that ensure boreholes water keeps running in taps. "Currently taps are dry, the expansive bare land without a permanent river in the vicinity is what the residents are forced to live with,” the authority’s official said.

“The rains stopped long time ago and those relying on scoop holes are forced to dig deeper to quench their thirst and get some water for their livestock at sparsely placed seasonal rivers locally known as 'lagas'''.