Over 130 residents from Chandavai in Lamu County have filed a lawsuit against Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote and multiple Kenyan state agencies, seeking to halt construction on a proposed Ksh 2 trillion oil refinery project. The legal challenge comes just days before a scheduled groundbreaking ceremony on September 30, placing the multi-trillion-shilling development in jeopardy. Allegations of Unlawful Displacement and Eviction The 133 plaintiffs claim that state actors and private contractors have systematically cleared land that their families have occupied, cultivated, and used under customary tenure for generations. The dispute centers on land parcel LR No. 13061 in Chandavai. According to court filings, the residents contend that heavy machinery and bulldozers first entered the property on August 7, 2024, destroying crops, homes, and community structures without prior consultation, formal notice, or monetary compensation. The residents highlight several core claims regarding their historical ties to the disputed area: Ancestral Presence: Families have built homes, farms, mosques, shrines, and burial sites on the land. Customary Rights: The plaintiffs argue that their long-standing occupation grants them valid, compensable land interests under Article 40(4) of the Kenyan Constitution and the Land Act, even without formal title deeds. Exclusion from Compensation: The r...
This page contains an attributed headline and the preview text supplied through the publisher’s RSS feed. Copyright in the original reporting belongs to Nairobi Wire.
