Environmental activists march against coal project, advocate for safe power

Hundreds of environmental activists on Lamu Island took part in a peaceful anti-coal project procession to push the government and investors to embrace safe power-generation methods in the county.

The environmentalists, under the umbrella of the Save Lamu organisation, marched on the various streets and even the seafront of Lamu Old Town before boarding boats and dhows and moved in the Indian Ocean up to Shella.

The activists were also carrying placards with messages condemning the use of fossil fuel power generation methods like coal plants.

They also sang songs against fossil fuel power generation projects like the coal plant, insisting that such projects are harmful to both the environment and human health.

“We are agitating for safe methods of generating power in the country and the world. We don’t need any sources of energy that are hazardous. We don’t need coal. It is harmful to the environment, marine life and human health,” said Save Lamu Board Member Mohamed Athman.

Raya Famau, who represented women in Save Lamu, said unsafe power generation projects greatly affect the environment, which is already struggling due to the effects brought about by climate change.

Raya says women are always hurt during times when climate change affects the world.

“We oppose coal plant establishment not only here in Lamu but in the entire country. Projects like coal plants have always had negative implications on the environment. Their hazardous nature pollutes the environment and worsens the already unpleasant situation contributed to by climate change. As women, we suffer a lot due to climate change. We are against coal plants,” said Raya.

Abubakar Twalib, the Lamu Island Beach Management Unit (BMU) Chair, reiterated that once projects like coal plants are established in Lamu, they will directly poison fish and affect their breeding.

This will render the thousands of fishermen in Lamu jobless.

“Once established in this place, the coal plants can negatively impact us as fishermen through various mechanisms, including water pollution and habitat destruction. Such projects also introduce harmful substances into the marine ecosystem. That means such effects will directly reduce fish populations, disrupt fishing practices, and harm our livelihoods as the fishing communities here in Lamu,” said Abubakar.

In early 2015, Lamu was actively involved in discussions concerning a proposed Sh200 billion Coal Power Plant establishment in the county.

Initial steps for the Lamu coal power project, including contracting, financing, and environmental impact studies, went on within that year.

Financing agreements were signed and environmental impact studies conducted between 2015 and 2016. Construction was originally even planned to begin in September 2015.

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The proposed Lamu Coal Power Station was a 1,050 megawatt coal-fired power plant.

A total of 975 acres of land had in fact been acquired at Kwasasi Village in Hindi, Lamu West, for the project establishment.

However, the project faced significant opposition from local communities and environmental groups, including Save Lamu, due to concerns about environmental and social impacts.

The project was ultimately halted in June 2019 after Kenya's National Environment Tribunal revoked the environmental license.

The procession also comes at a time when the Land and Environment Court was expected to deliver a ruling on Thursday on the proposed coal project, but has now postponed it to September 30, 2025, after an appeal was lodged against those opposing it.