Murang’a County, Kenya – Ndindi Nyoro has called on leaders to prioritise national interests in the development of Kenya’s oil resources, warning against attempts to personalise the Turkana oil project.
Speaking during the launch of three new laboratories at Karemaini Secondary School in Kiharu, Nyoro said the oil venture should remain a national project intended to benefit all Kenyans, rather than serving the interests of a few individuals.
The lawmaker alleged that some political leaders were treating the oil project as a personal initiative instead of a national resource.
“It is very wrong and diabolical that instead of Kenya benefiting from Turkana oil, a section of elected leaders have become selfish and are now claiming that the oil from Turkana does not belong to Kenya but to an individual,” Nyoro said.
He emphasized that the country’s natural resources must be managed transparently and equitably to ensure that communities hosting the resources, particularly residents of Turkana, benefit alongside the rest of the nation.
“The oil from Turkana and Boma must benefit the people of Turkana and all Kenyans. Leaders associating themselves with the oil should put aside greed and put Kenya first so that the resource benefits the nation and not an individual,” he added.
Concerns Over Proposed Infrastructure
Nyoro also expressed concerns about plans to construct a railway line to transport crude oil from Turkana to the Coast, arguing that public resources should first be directed toward projects that directly benefit local communities.
“They plan to construct a railway to transport oil from Turkana to Mombasa using public funds, while the oil belongs to an individual,” he said. “Let us first build infrastructure that helps the people of Turkana travel to Nairobi and Mombasa before using public resources to construct a railway that benefits a private individual.”
Kenya’s Oil Development Plans
Kenya’s broader oil development strategy includes the construction of an 825-kilometre pipeline linking Turkana to the coastal town of Lamu, which is expected to transport an estimated 560 million barrels of recoverable crude oil.
Production from the fields is projected to reach approximately 120,000 barrels per day by 2032, positioning Kenya as a potential oil exporter in the region.
Nyoro’s remarks highlight growing debate around how the country’s emerging oil industry should be managed, particularly regarding resource ownership, infrastructure priorities, and equitable distribution of benefits.
