On Friday, February 9, a section of Lamu residents staged a protest demanding justice from the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) for confiscating their fishing grounds.
Hundreds of fishermen whose livelihoods have been affected by the new Lamu Port South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) project are protesting over delays in compensation from the government.
Speaking to reporters outside the Democratic People's Republic of Korea office in Lamu, Lamu Beach Management Unit (BMU) Chairman Somo M. Somo gave the authorities a strict ultimatum of 14 days to settle the dues. Ta.
“We will continue to demonstrate until the Kenya Ports Authority pays our dues. If they don’t pay, we will shut everything down in Lamu. No boats or planes will depart from Lamu, and in effect the Transport Department I feel paralyzed,” Somo said. Even the press.
Mr. Somo M. Somo, Chairman of the Lamu Fishermen's Association, during a presser in Lamu.
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Chetty
Somo vowed that if the Korean People's Army did not comply, he would escalate protests to major cities such as Mombasa and Nairobi until his appeal was heard.
However, as he addressed the press, some attempted to express their anger by slaughtering sheep on the street.
Some held placards that read “Pay the money,” while others held tree branches to show their dissatisfaction with the availability of money and their loss of faith.
Their protests follow a six-year wait for funds after the Korean People's Army expanded the port beyond local fishermen's fishing grounds in 2018, resulting in a Malindi court ruling.
The court therefore awarded Sh1.76 billion in compensation to 4,734 fishermen because the port project violated the cultural rights of the community.
By prior agreement, the KPA side agreed to settle the compensation at the following times. 65% of the total amount was to be in the form of cash and 35% in the form of fishing gear.
In the agreement, KPA indicated that fishermen would receive their cargo before the official opening of the port on May 21, 2021.
However, the move has since plagued them as the EACC investigated questions in the compensation list and they are yet to receive the funds.
EACC Headquarters Integrity Center Nairobi Photos
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EACC
