Conservancies, Conflict and Dispossession: The Winners and Losers of Oil Exploration in Turkana, Kenya

Abstract

Formerly marginal areas are increasingly the focus of extractive mega-projects, which are framed as necessary for economic growth and a modern industrial economy. Yet there are concerns that such projects are unjustly displacing local populations, facilitated through the alliances of local elites with foreign investors. This article asks, who are the winners and losers from oil exploration in the Turkana region of Kenya? Using longitudinal ethnographic research on the dynamics of local government, oil exploration, and pastoralist livelihoods in Turkana, Mkutu and Mdee highlight how current processes may exacerbate inequality and marginalization, with the potential for increasingly violent consequences.

Twenty-First Century Conservation in Africa: Contemporary Dilemmas, Future Challenges

“…Protected-area outreach and benefit sharing were crucial for early East African CBC programmes. Recently, however, East African CBC projects have demanded more power in participating in decision-making regarding wildlife and other natural resources (Mkutu and Mdee 2020). Only in southern Africa (notably, in Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe) has CBC been closely connected to decentralization and the devolvement of rights -to natural resources in general, and wildlife in particular -to rural communities (for example Bollig and Menestrey Schwieger 2014).…”

Oil extraction and public attitudes: A conjoint experiment in Turkana, Kenya

“…Exploratory drilling began in a number of sites as shown in Fig. 1 and 2018 saw the production of the first oil, which began to be transported to Mombasa for export (Mkutu and Mdee, 2020). By 2020, however, operations ground to a halt, due to various challenges being faced by the company together with the COVID-19 pandemic, including a drop in global oil prices, and the collapse of a bridge along the main road.…”

“…In Turkana, both positive and negative impacts as a result of the oil project have been reported (Agade, 2017;Bersaglio, 2015, 2016;Mkutu, 2014;Mkutu et al, 2019;Mkutu and Mdee, 2020;Schilling et al, 2015;Schilling et al, 2018a) and the studies addressing the affected communities' perceptions of oil extraction also find mixed results (Ogwang et al, 2018;Byakagaba et al, 2019). As for positive impacts, Tullow Oil provided a number of benefits through their CSR program including educational bursaries and the communities began to look to Tullow Oil as the main provider of services (Enns and Bersaglio, 2015).…”

Oil extraction and the changing dynamics of pastoral conflicts: a conjoint experiment in Turkana, Kenya

“…Pastoral conflicts that cross national or sub-national boundaries in northeast African countries, namely, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan, are not new. This region is characterised by semi-arid land frequently prone to droughts, poverty and pastoralism exercised by ethnic groups of pastoral farmers (Mkutu & Mdee 2020). Violent conflicts amongst pastoralist groups in the form of cattle and livestock raiding have long existed and go back to pre-colonial periods (Bollig 1990).…”

“…The conjoint experiment was embedded in an opinion survey administered at the individual level on a sample of 801 residents of Turkana County, Kenya, one of the most marginalised and impoverished counties in Kenya (Mkutu & Mdee 2020). In Turkana County, the primary industry has traditionally been pastoralism, and pastoral conflicts with other pastoralist ethnic communities involving cattle and livestock raiding across sub-national or country borders have been the main type of conflict in this region.…”