UPDATING COMMUNITIES IN LAMU ON THE RECENTLY DELIVERED JUDGMENT BY NET

Story:Save Lamu/Khadija Juma

Save Lamu took it to the grounds in the Eastern side of Lamu, in different villages in Pate Island including, Mtangawanda, Bori, Pate, Siu, Shanga rubu and Shanga Ishakani,  Kizingitini, Mbwajumwali etc to update the community on the recently delivered judgement by the National Environmental Tribunal in Nairobi whereby, the case was ruled in favor of the community to stop the coal plant, however, the opponent went on and filed a petition in challenging the court verdict that was recently delivered.

Save Lamu saw the need of visiting the mentioned areas to update the communities on the recent judgment of the coal power plant, The coal plant idea was first introduced in Lamu early 2015 At the beginning; a big percentage of residence in Lamu County welcomed the coal plant idea with the positive thought of creating job opportunities to the locals and the many youths and families who spends barely a dollar in the day to day livelihood income, Save Lamu through partnerships and consultations decided to do a research, in wanting to know more about the coal power plant, because neither Kenya or East African Countries have coal plants, so introducing it to east Africa was a totally new thing to Lamu.

It later came to our attention that many Countries that were using coal power plants are now turning away from it, because of the environmental, social and health impacts that are caused as a result of having coal plants operating in different regions of the planet.

After doing so much research on coal, Save Lamu saw the need to visit South Africa, one of the leading countries with the biggest percentage of coal plants operating, after witnessing the effects caused by the coal projects, including the number of people infected with chest problems (Tuberculosis, Asthma) has increased per annum, The agricultural production dropping with a big margin was not something that we will like to have it in our home Countries.

Pic 2. Lamu fishermen

Lamu County is one of the oldest Swahili oldest towns in East Africa which preserves its culture from Food to dressing, culture and not forgetting the different activities carried out in that region by men and women.

Men are known to be doing activities such as fishing and farming, while women mostly concentrate in knitting traditional Swahili hats, henna painting, hairdressing as a way of generating income, however in The villages of Shanga Ishakani and Shanga Rubu in Lamu East constituency at the far end, women are not only fishmongers, nor does henna painting only, they also engage in doing fishing activities by going to the near waters.

Pic 3. cultural practices of henna painting and knitting traditional hats by Lamu women

Women in shanga are urging the government to consider other alternative sources of generating power other than the coal power plant that will bring a lot of environmental destructions “We as women from Shanga, go the sea and do fishing, we depend on it as a livelihood, our children get humble life through the fishing we do, the idea of having coal plant should be taken away completely” Said Amina chairlady for Shanga Ishakani women group

In every aspect there is a situation and in every situation there many challenges which lie underneath, and some of the challenges faced by Shanga residents In Lamu east constituency includes luck of fishing equipment’s which enables them to do proper fishing, cold stores and marketing which enables them to sell fish both locally and National and aim internationally.

Few years back, Save lamu went to court against LAPSSET to get justice for Lamu fishermen