As Tullow Oil gears up to resume oil extraction in Turkana County by April, residents in Turkana South and Turkana East are taking proactive steps to register their land.
This initiative aims to secure title deeds in anticipation of compensation linked to the impending oil project.
To facilitate the transportation of crude oil from Turkana’s Lokichar region to Chamgamwe in Mombasa County, more than 600 trucks will be required.
Members of the Loperot community, where over 300 oil wells are slated to be drilled, have initiated a campaign to register their land.
Their motivation lies in ensuring that the compensation for their land does not end up with the county government, as occurred in the initial phase of the project.
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Expressing his concerns, Samson Akuri, the group’s chairperson, stated, “There were investor funds meant for the community, but now they were going to the county… we were not benefiting.”
On Monday, officials from the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission (NLC) oversaw the selection of a lands committee.
This committee will play a crucial role in managing the land registration process.
The constitution permits community members to unite and register their land to obtain title deeds, a step seen as vital in safeguarding their interests.
Explaining the significance of the process, Teddy Muturi, an official from the Kenya Oil and Gas Working Group, said, “The importance of this process aligns with the 2016 Community Land Act, which empowers communities to self-govern and benefit more effectively.”
In Turkana, land is communally owned, and individuals do not hold title deeds.
The ongoing registration initiative reflects a proactive move by residents to secure their land rights ahead of the imminent oil extraction.
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