Community Land Acquisition for Oil and Gas Projects
By Emmaqulate Moranga “How does the government claim to own land passed down to us by our ancestors? Land where our ancestors are buried?” these questions dominated our dialogue with the community in Turkana County. The Community also raised concerns of displacement and reduction of grazing areas for their livestock. The community’s concerns are reflected in the Community Land Act, which provides that all unregistered community land shall be held by the County Government, in trust for the community. Most community land in Turkana county is unregistered, and therefore vests in the County Government. Needless to say, land is a passionate topic, and a necessary resource in upstream and midstream petroleum activities. Therefore, at some point, compulsory acquisition is necessary to allow for oil and gas projects. Compulsory acquisition is…
