More than 100 residents of Chandavai in Lamu have filed a case at the Environment and Land Court against the Kenyan government, accusing it of displacing them from their ancestral land to pave the way for major infrastructure projects, including the proposed Dangote East Africa Refinery. The residents claim that the expansion of these projects has resulted in the destruction of their homes, crops, trees, and other property, leaving them without a resettlement plan.
The 133 residents of Mvinjeni claim that they only learnt later that the land—which they had farmed and on which they had lived for generations—had been acquired by the government for the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor project. They allege that Lapsset later handed over the land to the Ministry of Defence for construction of roads and expansion of military and airport facilities without their knowledge, participation, or consent.
The disputed parcels are said to be near Manda Bay Camp, which hosts the Kenya Navy Base, the US Camp Simba, and Magogoni Airfield. The residents added that their families have developed the land; built homes, mosques, and shrines; and buried their loved ones there. They claim the parcels are community land under the stewardship of Lamu County and they have peacefully occupied it without ownership disputes.
The residents say their troubles began on August 7, 2024, when Kenya Defence Forces officers, local chiefs, and other government agents entered their land with bulldozers and heavy machinery. The officials destroyed crops, trees, and other property without prior notice, consultation, or compensation, they add. They say they depended on the land for food production and livestock keeping, hence the destruction deprived them of their economic mainstay.
The residents claim that when they sought answers from the local administration, they were informed that the land had been acquired for the Lapsset project and subsequently allocated to the Defence ministry. They further allege that the land was earmarked for construction of the Lapsset road, infrastructure expansion, and emergency services linked to Manda Bay military facilities.
In May 2026, President William Ruto announced that Dangote Industries would construct a $15 billion to $20 billion oil refinery in Kenya, leveraging the Lapsset Corridor in Lamu. The residents allege that in July, Dangote Industries, through its engineering and project management contractors, began excavating deep holes for soil testing and preparing the site for construction of refinery tanks, pipelines, storage facilities, and other infrastructure.
The residents argue that although they do not hold formal title deeds, their long occupation, cultivation, and development of the land gives them compensable interests under Article 40(4) of the Constitution and the Land Act. They contend that they qualify as “interested persons” under the compulsory acquisition provisions of the Land Act because they are actual occupants of the land, even where their interests are not reflected in the land register.
Key points
- The Kenyan government is set to launch the Sh2.2 trillion Dangote East Africa Refinery project.
- Over 100 residents of Chandavai in Lamu claim they were displaced from their ancestral land without compensation or consultation.
- The residents have filed a case at the Environment and Land Court seeking redress for the destruction of their property and violation of their constitutional rights.
