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There is excitement among residents on whose land in Manda Bay the port is set to be constructed. Now living in the sprawling slums on Lamu Island after they fled Manda Bay due to insecurity, these residents hope to be compensated for their land before construction begins.
In the raging debate, locals also want to be assured measures are in place to minimise potential damage to corals during the construction.They have maintained that the construction of the port must not clear hundreds of acres of healthy mangrove forest. A resident Mr Mohamed Athman Bakar is urging the Government to engage local environmentalists and residents over the planned port construction to avoid destruction of biodiversity.
Full compensation
He says over 5,000 people owned the land at the designated Lamu port and they should be fully compensated before the project commences. Mr Bakar says Lamu was among the first areas in Kenya to have the first Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) soon after independence.
"We never got Government attention and we are afraid our original land could be easily grabbed for port development," Bakar said.
"Most of the people who own land at the site live in slums on Lamu Island and should be fully consulted and compensated before the port is developed," he said, adding that the Government should sign an agreement with the local people on how they will benefit from the project.
Bakar, also head of Kenya Marine Forum and Lamu Civil Society Forum, says the proposed port is the main traditional fishing ground for hundreds of fishermen and the main route by dhows sailing to the island villages to East of Lamu Island.
Residents also fear that oil spills from ships calling the Manda port would interfere with fish breeding in the area and threaten the ecosystem including mangroves. Environmentalists have expressed fears that over 1,000 acres of pristine mangroves at Manda Bay, Mkanda channel and Dodori creek risk being wiped out to pave way for the new port.
"We know this is one of the country’s biggest investments, yet there is scant information from the Government about its execution and measures to mitigate any environmental threats," Bakar says.
No communication
"Former Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere held only one meeting to inform us of the proposed port. There has been no further communication henceforth," consultation," Bakar notes.
Last year, Mwakwere led a Government delegation from his Ministry and Kenya Ports Authority to inform Lamu residents of the project. According to residents, Government should also sign a memorandum of understanding with them on how it would safeguard Lamu as a world heritage site and how they would benefit from the economic development as host communities.
Another resident, Mr Mohamed Bwana Shee says residents of Kiunga, Shanga, Mvundeni, Manda and Magogoni fled their farms in 1967 and 1968 due to insecurity and were now living in slums like Kashmir on Lamu Island.
He says these people must not be denied rights to their land due to the rush by wealthy speculators and politicians in anticipation of the project.
"We have suffered many historical injustices including displacement from our land. We are now ready to move to court to stop anybody from taking over our land for whatever development without consultation," Shee cautions.
National Museums of Kenya (NMK) Director General Dr Idle Farah expressed reservations about the impact of a large port in Lamu on the cultural heritage.
"We are aware that development of a large port in Lamu will attract huge settlements in the area and this may have an impact on the world heritage site," Farah says.
He say in May next year, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), which declared Lamu a world heritage site, may send its director to Lamu to meet residents and State officials to discuss how best to safeguard the key global site.
Unesco made Lamu a world heritage site in 2001 and this has helped attract tourists from around the world. Other world heritage sites in Kenya are Mt KenyaMijikenda Kaya forests at the Coast.
There is excitement among residents on whose land in Manda Bay the port is set to be constructed. Now living in the sprawling slums on Lamu Island after they fled Manda Bay due to insecurity, these residents hope to be compensated for their land before construction begins.
In the raging debate, locals also want to be assured measures are in place to minimise potential damage to corals during the construction.They have maintained that the construction of the port must not clear hundreds of acres of healthy mangrove forest. A resident Mr Mohamed Athman Bakar is urging the Government to engage local environmentalists and residents over the planned port construction to avoid destruction of biodiversity.
Full compensation
He says over 5,000 people owned the land at the designated Lamu port and they should be fully compensated before the project commences. Mr Bakar says Lamu was among the first areas in Kenya to have the first Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) soon after independence.
"We never got Government attention and we are afraid our original land could be easily grabbed for port development," Bakar said.
"Most of the people who own land at the site live in slums on Lamu Island and should be fully consulted and compensated before the port is developed," he said, adding that the Government should sign an agreement with the local people on how they will benefit from the project.
Bakar, also head of Kenya Marine Forum and Lamu Civil Society Forum, says the proposed port is the main traditional fishing ground for hundreds of fishermen and the main route by dhows sailing to the island villages to East of Lamu Island.
Residents also fear that oil spills from ships calling the Manda port would interfere with fish breeding in the area and threaten the ecosystem including mangroves. Environmentalists have expressed fears that over 1,000 acres of pristine mangroves at Manda Bay, Mkanda channel and Dodori creek risk being wiped out to pave way for the new port.
"We know this is one of the country’s biggest investments, yet there is scant information from the Government about its execution and measures to mitigate any environmental threats," Bakar says.
No communication
"Former Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere held only one meeting to inform us of the proposed port. There has been no further communication henceforth," consultation," Bakar notes.
Last year, Mwakwere led a Government delegation from his Ministry and Kenya Ports Authority to inform Lamu residents of the project. According to residents, Government should also sign a memorandum of understanding with them on how it would safeguard Lamu as a world heritage site and how they would benefit from the economic development as host communities.
Another resident, Mr Mohamed Bwana Shee says residents of Kiunga, Shanga, Mvundeni, Manda and Magogoni fled their farms in 1967 and 1968 due to insecurity and were now living in slums like Kashmir on Lamu Island.
He says these people must not be denied rights to their land due to the rush by wealthy speculators and politicians in anticipation of the project.
"We have suffered many historical injustices including displacement from our land. We are now ready to move to court to stop anybody from taking over our land for whatever development without consultation," Shee cautions.
National Museums of Kenya (NMK) Director General Dr Idle Farah expressed reservations about the impact of a large port in Lamu on the cultural heritage.
"We are aware that development of a large port in Lamu will attract huge settlements in the area and this may have an impact on the world heritage site," Farah says.
He say in May next year, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), which declared Lamu a world heritage site, may send its director to Lamu to meet residents and State officials to discuss how best to safeguard the key global site.
Unesco made Lamu a world heritage site in 2001 and this has helped attract tourists from around the world. Other world heritage sites in Kenya are Mt KenyaMijikenda Kaya forests at the Coast.
