Simba Energy’s exploration activities at Block 2A in Wajir County in Kenya, is currently at a standstill as locals have destroyed part of the working equipment being at the site while protesting against the ongoing work by the Company.

According to the Company's Director, James Jenkins, they had suffered huge losses due to the conflict between Simba and members of the community.He said that some people had misled locals to oppose the ongoing works.

“As a company, we are here to do our work, we will abide to all the rules given by the local clans and the Wajir county government. Unfortunately, we have been hindered by few individuals who do not share our ideology. The community was getting the wrong information on what we are doing and think that we are going to disrupt their lives,” he explained.

The resident committee is clamoring that the company failed to honor a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the community before starting the development projects.“The company has floated all our engagements,” Abdinur Abdi Abdullahi, the committee's secretary, told Oil news Kenya.

Other members of the community are not happy with the actions of the committee stating that the company had employed more than 250 locals as staff.“The people are not happy with the action of the committee which was responsible in paralyzing company's activities,” Mzee Mohamed Dakane, an elder in the community, said.

Anita Fatunji