MP Ndindi Nyoro now claims Turkana oil project has been 'personalised'

Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro has called on leaders to put the interests of Kenya and its citizens above personal gain, warning against alleged attempts to personalise the Turkana oil development project.

Speaking while launching three laboratories at Karemaini Secondary School, Nyoro claimed that some leaders were treating the Turkana oil venture as a personal project instead of a national resource meant to benefit all Kenyans.

He cautioned that the oil project must be managed in a manner that ensures its benefits are shared broadly across the country rather than serving the interests of a few individuals.

“It is very wrong and diabolical that instead of Kenya benefiting from Turkana oil, a section of elected leaders have become selfish and are now claiming that the oil from Turkana does not belong to Kenya but to an individual. Someone should be very ashamed for putting their personal ambitions in such a national issue,” Nyoro said.

“The oil from Turkana and Boma must benefit the people of Turkana and all Kenyans. Leaders associating themselves with the oil should put aside greed and put Kenya first so that the resource benefits the nation and not an individual.”

Nyoro also raised concerns over plans to construct a railway line to transport oil from Turkana to the Coast, saying the project should first prioritise the needs and welfare of Turkana residents rather than private interests.

“They plan to construct a railway to transport oil from Turkana to Mombasa using public funds, while the oil belongs to an individual. Let us first build infrastructure that helps the people of Turkana travel to Nairobi and Mombasa before using public resources to construct a railway that benefits a private individual,” he stated.

The broader oil development plan includes a proposed 825-kilometre pipeline to Lamu that is expected to transport an estimated 560 million barrels of recoverable crude oil.

Production from the fields is projected to reach about 120,000 barrels per day by 2032.