Hundreds of residents and environmental activists from Lamu County have protested the delayed ruling on the Ksh 200 billion proposed Coal Power plant project in the area.
The anti-coal power proponents from the Save Lamu organization under the Action Against Lamu Coal Crisis took to the streets of Lamu island claiming that the delayed ruling was a ploy by the government to actualize the project.
Led by Save Lamu organization director Mohamed Athman, the activists carrying anti coal placards marched through the streets of Lamu old town and boarded boats to protest in the waters.
“We are agitating for safe methods of generating power in the country and the world because we don’t want harmful sources of energy in Kenya since our habitats would be destroyed if such was implemented,” said Athman.
His sentiments were echoed by Raya Famau who claimed that unsafe power generation projects will greatly affect the environment in a world that is currently tackling effects of climate change.
“We oppose coal plant establishment not only here in Lamu but in the entire country since such projects have always had a negative implication on the environment and the hazardous nature pollutes the environment and worsens the already unpleasant situation contributed to by climate change,” she said.
Abubakar Twalib who is the chairman of the Lamu Island Beach Management Unit (BMU) said that fishermen had already suffered from climate change that had interfered with fish breeding sites and that the coal plant near the sea would add salt to injury.
“Our fishermen have already lost livelihood due to effects of climate change that has affected the way fish breed and bringing coal project in our area is like burying us alive. In the event that the government forces that project on us, then we will suffer immensely since it will directly reduce fish populations, disrupt fishing practices, and harm our livelihoods as the fishing communities here in Lamu,” he said.
The project that was first proposed in 2015 was opposed by environmentalists from Lamu County and beyond, leading to a court case that has dragged on over the years.
According to proponents of the project, the Kenyan government would have benefitted with 1, 050 megawatts of coal fired power, leading to a drastic reduction in the cost of electricity.
Already, the government had conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and and financial agreements signed between the government and the developer under Lamu Power between 2015 and 2016 but in 2019, a court case was filed seeking to halt the development that was to be constructed on a 975 acre piece of land at Kwasasi village in Hindi area of Lamu West Sub County.
Kenya’s National Environment Tribunal revoked the environmental license of the project in September 2019.
However, the case has stagnated at the Environment and Lands Court in Malindi with the ruling dates being postponed every time.
