Lamu Port corridor threatens pastoralists

In 2012, a member of the International Working Group on Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Kanyinke Sena, explored the potential impacts of the LAPSSET infrastructure project on hunter-gatherers (Awer, Sanye), pastoralists (Orma, Wardei, Samburu, Borana) and pastoral-fisherfolk around Lake Turkana (Elmolo, Turkana). The report “Lamu Port–South Sudan– Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) and indigenous peoples in Kenya” outlines potential negative impacts of the project on these communities, e.g. loss of land and water resources, increased conflict, and change in livelihoods systems and cultural traditions. The Government of Kenya (GoK) has initiated some steps to address these concerns, such as trying to deal with land-tenure issues, constituting conflict-management committees and committing to training the communities to prepare them to be part of the implementation process. The review found that the communities are not well enough organised to be able to respond to the impending challenges. It calls for civic education to raise awareness and enable the local people to organise themselves better at local and national level, to make informed choices and to grasp opportunities to improve their livelihoods. It also calls for targeted international support to complement the efforts of the local people and the GoK.

Posted on 8 November 2012 in News, Pastoralism & Extractives, Pastoralism & Natural Resources, Pastoralism, Mobility & Land Tenure, Pastoralist Livelihoods & Nutrition