This archive report was first published on 9 May 2021.
On May 9, 2021, the Lamu community was finally set to receive compensation from the State for the suffering they have endured due to the Lamu Port project. The fishermen first went to court in 2012, aggrieved by how the State was implementing the project.
More than 80 per cent of the community in Lamu depend on fishing for their livelihood. The construction of the Lamu Port, which will have 32 berths costing $5 billion (Sh530 billion), has been ongoing since its inception.
The construction of the first three berths is currently taking place at Manda Bay, with the third berth nearing completion and ready for launch in June 2021. However, the community in Lamu has experienced untold suffering as a result of the project.
The construction of the Lamu Port includes dredging and reclamation, which has restricted the activities of over 4,700 boat operators. Dredging along the Mkanda Channel has destroyed mangrove, posing a direct impact on fishermen and their livelihood.
The berths have been placed right over the Shaka la Paye reef (traditional fishing ground), affecting Spiny lobsters, which settle in mangroves or seagrass as juveniles and live-in corals, as adults. The loss of corals has resulted in the destruction of critical fishery resources in the area and tourism.
Despite the High Court judgment on April 30, 2018, declaring that the planning and construction of the Lamu Port violated the rights of Lamu residents, the Kenya Ports Authority filed an appeal and got a stay of execution order. The matter remains stuck at the Court of Appeal, three years after the High Court judgment.
The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has been criticized for its lack of enforcement, allowing the negative environmental impacts of the project to continue. The Lamu Port access road also lacks an environmental licence, further prejudicing the Lamu community.
