This archive report was first published on 21 November 2019.
On November 21, 2019, Tullow Oil started a series of meetings in West Pokot County to address concerns over the use of Turkwel dam water for oil extraction in Lokichar, Turkana County.
The oil company had faced criticism from Pokot leaders for using water from Turkwel dam without consulting local leaders and residents during the extraction of oil from Turkana wells.
West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello said the meetings were aimed at seeking community consent and conducting public participation. He noted that surveys conducted by Tullow Oil showed that the Turkwel dam has sufficient water to support the oil extraction.
Okello urged political leaders to end the war of words and stop politicising the project, saying that no agreement had been reached and that the project was still in its initial stages.
He added that a series of meetings would be held, including with political leaders, professionals, and residents, to engage the public and ask them how they wanted to benefit from the project.
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