This archive report was first published on 16 May 2020.
On May 16, 2020, a court in Kenya issued orders restraining the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) from interfering with a parcel of land hosting a fish landing site in Kisumu. The site, known as Kichinjio beach, is adjacent to the recently renovated multi-million shilling port.
The court's decision came after environmental activist Michael Nyaguti lodged a successful suit challenging KPA's decision to take over the parcel. Nyaguti claimed that the area KPA had grabbed is a riparian land and a gazetted fish landing site that the fishing community has relied on for several years.
According to court records, KPA had ordered fishermen and other people using the site to vacate in September 2019 and then fenced off the area. However, the court found that this move was a breach of fair administrative action and a breach of the constitutional provisions of economic rights.
During the court proceedings, Nyaguti stated that the public using the site were just verbally told to vacate, and that the authorities moved to erect a fence at the site blocking the passage to the Beach Management Unit offices. KPA had urged the court to dismiss the petition, describing it as incompetent.
