Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is set to compensate hundreds of fishermen affected by the Lamu Port construction, with the compensation amount estimated at Ksh1.76 billion.
At least 4,734 fishermen are listed as beneficiaries in the exercise, which is set to kick off soon following a meeting between KPA and a multi-agency team in the Lamu County Commissioner’s office.
“We rolling out the entire programme and working closely with all the concerned parties to ensure that we leave no one out,” KPA Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr Benard Osero told The Standard.
The multiagency team has been cleaning the list, which had reached over 6,000 names as of 2019, according to Mr Somo Mbwana, chairman of the Lamu county Beach Management Units (BMU) network.
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“In 2016, we went to court to seek compensation after the project implementers took over the fishing ground. At that time we were 4,734. But in 2019, the number had shot up to 6,000,” said Mbwana.
The fishermen were awarded the amount after moving to court in conjunction with the Save Lamu movement.
Lamu Port is set to be commissioned in June, with the KPA having already shipped the first batch of equipment to be used at the Port from Mombasa Port.
The second batch of equipment will leave Port of Mombasa on May 15 for assembling ready for the opening of the port.
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