Briefing Paper

The Negative Impacts of Oil Exploration and Discovery on the Turkana Community

This policy brief addresses issues resulting from impacts affecting the Turkana Community, in light of the recent oil production activities. Some key issues include the growth of Kenya’s economy, environmental assessments, rehabilitation programs to be implemented, management and distribution of resources. In 2012, Tullow Oil Plc. a UK-based multinational Oil and Gas Production Company discovered oil in Turkana County. The Turkana region has since then experienced changes economically and socially. The dramatic upsurge in oil exploration is expected to continue as the Turkana region remains vital to Kenya’s oil production in decades to come. At the same time, many of the region’s oil drilling sites are located in areas that affect the local communities directly raising concerns about the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the production.