Save Lamu together with deCOALonize in Mokowe Lamu, in an open forum with representatives from different parts of the County understanding coal power plant project and it’s effects to the environment.
“ It is high time we highlight our issues and our voices be heard” said Abubakar Alamud Save Lamu chairman during the dialogue forum held at Mokowe township in the Island of Lamu that brought together residents from different parts of the County to the areas most affected by developing projects including fishers on the LAPSSET corridor, Kililana farmers and Kwasasi farmers the proposed area for the coal power plant.
The 18th October forum included different panelists who are experts in their respective fields including Environmentalist from Natural Justice Said Salim, Omar El-maawy Lawyer by profession, Save Lamu chairperson Abubakar Alamud, Raya Famau from Maendeleo ya wanawake among many others.
Highlighting on the negative impacts that will come as result of the Coal power plant, Mr Abubakar Alamud said that having the fossil fuels project In Lamu would deteriorate the health of the people living in that area, water temperatures will not be in favor of fishers and thus the economy will drop with a bigger percentage, in addition to that tourism will be no more as Lamu will lose its Heritage status.
” I traveled to South Africa and we saw alot of environmental destructions all over, people living in the area sites cannot drink tap water because of coal” said Raya Famau from Sauti ya Wanawake she however added by saying that many women do not conceive and some end up giving birth to children with disabilities she also mentioned of many people suffering through respiratory diseases such as cancer and infections like as Tuberculosis.
The constitution has brought alot of benefits to the community the constitution of Kenya voted in 2010 clearly states that every Kenyan has a right to live in a clean and healthy environment according to article 42
“People of Lamu were not fully involved before implementation of any project, more than 7000 fishers will be affected, we don’t need coal in Kenya, we have more than we use” said Omar Elmawy.
We have so many ways of generating power, like wind and solar energy to create employment other than coal, Coal power is not cheap, but rather expensive, developing Countries like Dubai are actually on the plans to build Solar energy, Lamu coal power plant case was filed in 2016 and is still ongoing, Save Lamu has consulted not only National and locally but also International Experts to help in getting witnesses on the coal case.
“I dont consider coal as sustainable development, with all the environmental destructions” said Saeed Salim an environmentalist from Natural Justice, he however went ahead and said that the coal plant will bring climate change whereby the ozone layers will be destructed by carbon dioxide
Women on the other side are key people who will be more affected when it comes to the developing projects like the fossil fuels, Coal plant has bigger benefits in terms of business, but when it comes to a common citizen it is a big loss. ” We must all understand that this is business and not a good thing to us” said Raya Famau from Sauti ya Wanawake.
“ Lamu people have been made poor through historical injustices up until now we still dont have title deeds, we do not have industries in Lamu, we want development in our region because if we have good roads, our security will improve thus the living standards in our County will rise ”
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