Excitement fills Kerio Valley as locals look forward to oil boom

Excitement has filled the Kerio Valley, with expectant locals gleefully visualising 'instant riches' after Tullow Oil on Sunday outlined its plan to prospect for black gold in the area.

The British oil company has engaged locals and their leaders in a series of meetings, with Sunday’s main gathering being attended by the region’s top leaders including Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos and Senator Kipchumba Murkomen.

The weekend meet also provided many talking points, the most serious of which was fear among the locals over the unavailability of land titles that would enable them benefit from the expected boom.

Sideshows in the course of the meetings were abundant, including concerns by conservative elders that Tullow Oil had dispatched a “women-only” delegation to lead the talks.

SLEEP IN VEHCILES

Mr Tolgos and Mr Murkomen also experienced first-hand the area’s biting accommodation crisis after they were forced to spend a night in cheap, dingy, Sh350 lodgings.

But the two leaders were grateful for at least having a roof over their heads as several MCAs, who had accompanied them, were forced to sleep in their vehicles at Arror Trading Centre.

Tullow Oil carried out its sensitisation campaign among the locals, with the region’s five MPs and 30 members of the county assembly also in attendance.

“We have purposely come with your leaders to inform you that the first prospect of the discovery, which is referred to as block ’12 A’,  falls within this county and, to be specific in Soi North Location in Keiyo South Sub-County,” Ms Rosie Birungi, the company’s stakeholder engagement manager, told the locals.

SET UP BASE

“For this reason, we hope that the discovery will unite you rather than divide you,” she said.

Tullow intends to move its equipment and set up base in the area soon, ahead of exploration works whose commencement date is yet to be revealed.

Mrs Birungi said opportunities for the local communities were abundant.

She told them to rest assured that they would benefit from goodies associated with the exploration— including contracts and jobs.

But among the local community’s concerns was the fact that the company’s officials who addressed them were all female and could, therefore, not be taken seriously.

“Matters of oil are sensitive. How come this company has sent us female officials? Can we really take their message seriously? Honestly, where are their (male) managers,” asked Mzee Joseph Cheruon, a community elder.

It took the intervention of the local politicians to convince the locals that the officials led by Mrs Birungi, a Ugandan national, were senior and qualified to deliver the message.

LAND PUZZLE

Women in Kerio Valley, where the outlawed Female Genital Mutilation is still rampant, have in the past been regarded as “children”.

They are not taken seriously by the conservative elders to the extent of being barred from addressing men at such meetings.

Elgeyo Marakwet Woman Representative Susan Chebet also came to the defence of the company officials, saying they “went to school and were in their positions because of merit.”

The locals also urged the government to solve the land ownership puzzle before proceeding with the project.

“Land is virtually communally owned here, and, for this reason, we are asking the government to carry out land adjudication before we see any progress,” Mr Cheruon said.

Land in the area is classified as community trust land and owners have no ownership documents.

Another elder, Mr Pius Kanda, said unrest caused by fighting for oil revenues was cause for concern among locals.

SCARY TALES

“There are scary tales of conflicts globally in countries where oil is mined such as Nigeria, Niger Delta, Kuwait, Libya and, therefore, we want to have the documents (title deeds),” he said.

Governor Tolgos asked the locals not to worry about land ownership documents, saying he would engage the relevant government departments and elders to adjudicate on land matters.

Senator Murkomen said the Benefits Sharing Bill 2014, which is before the Senate, would improve administration and sharing of the natural resources.

He told the locals to rest assured they would not be short-changed and urged Tullow Oil to engage the community in the exploration zone “transparently and above board.”

“You should inform the wananchi on both the benefits and also make them aware of the negative impacts of your exploration works,” he said.