Petroleum and Mining Cabinet Secretary John Munyes has assured the country that crude oil trucking from Lokichar to Mombasa would resume on August 22 after a meeting with key stakeholders in Lodwar.
Speaking in Lodwar on Wednesday after a meeting convened by the CS Petroleum and Mining John Munyes at the Turkana County Commissioner’s office, Mbogo said the contractor (Tullow Oil) has mobilized its staff to the field a week ago and the water distribution exercise has been normalized after the 45 days disruption.
Tullow Oil Company Country Manager Martin Mbogo also announced that it has resumed the distribution of water to county residents ahead of the August 22 when the trucking of crude oil to Mombasa will resume.
Mbogo added that, Tullow Oil Company will supplement what the government has already done especially the gazettement of Turkana grievance management committee and inter-ministerial escalation and support committee.
Munyes said the meeting also discussed terms of reference of the county grievances management committee which include discussion on emerging issues and sensitization of the community on oil issues.
He said the first county oil grievances management committee would hold its first meeting next week in Lodwar ahead of the resumption of crude oil trucking from Lokichar to Mombasa on August 22.
He added that the meeting would be followed by an inter-ministerial escalation and support committee meeting which brings on board key stakeholders among them the Attorney General, Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, lands, devolution, interior, county government, and representatives from the Turkana parliamentary caucus.
Munyes said the ministry will set up a regional office in Lodwar and deploy senior staff from the ministry headquarters and employ more community liaison officers as it seeks to deepen the engagement with the community.