Residents register for title deeds as oil extraction in Turkana nears resumption

As the Tullow Oil Company seeks to resume the extraction of oil in Turkana County by April, residents of Turkana South and Turkana East have begun registering their community’s land to obtain title deeds for the compensation they expect to receive from the project.

Over 600 trucks are needed to transport crude oil from Turkana’s Lokichar area to Chamgamwe in Mombasa County.

Members of the Loperot community, where over 300 oil wells are expected to be dug, have kicked off a drive to register their land saying they do not want compensation for their land to go to the county government as it happened during the first phase of the project.

"Kulikuwa na pesa za investors ambayo ilikuwa inalipwa community lakini sasa ilikuwa inaenda kwa county… sisi hatukuwa tunafaidika," Samson Akuri, the chairperson of the group, said on Monday.

Officials from the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission (NLC) were present on Monday to oversee the election of a lands committee.

The constitution allows members of a community to come together and register their land for title deeds.

"Umuhimu wa process hii inaambatana na sheria ya community land act ya 2016 ambayo inapea jamii mamlaka ya kujisinamia na kufaidika vizuri," said Teddy Muturi, an official of the Kenya Oil and Gas Working Group.

Turkana land is owned by the community and people do not possess title deeds.