Maa community threatens to block Olkaria power project

Maa community threatens to block Olkaria power project

Operations at the geothermal rich area of Naivasha were temporally paralyzed after members of the Maasai community held a peaceful demonstration against the upcoming Olkaria V project.

Armed with crude weapons, the residents blocked one of the main roads to the area demanding  involvement in the upcoming 140MW power project.

They accused KenGen of giving them a raw deal and threatened to block the commissioning of the project by the President set for next month.

However, KenGen has denied the allegations saying that a stakeholders’ committee was addressing all the issues raised by the pastoralists.

Area leader, Maenga Kisotu, lashed out at some directors of KenGen for giving allegedly sidelining the community.

“We fully support the government in the power project but some individuals are to blame and we are asking the President to intervene,” he said.

Kisotu said that they gave up their community land for the exploration of more geothermal energy but KenGen had failed to honour its part of the bargain.

“Kengen has refused to include the community in the stakeholders coordination committee despite the effects the power generation has on the community,” he said.

 

Written by Erick Kombo

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Maasai NAIVASHA Olkaria Geothermal fields demonstrations

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