By Antony Gitonga
Naivasha, Kenya: Operations at Eburru geothermal power plant in Naivasha were disrupted after area residents held a demonstration against Kengen.
The over 300 irate farmers blocked the road leading to the power plant as they demanded compensation for the crops damaged by steam emanating from one of the plants’ wells.
The protesters who were carrying placards and twigs dug trenches on the road before the provincial administration intervened.
The demonstration comes a few months after the farmers blocked Kengen staff from accessing 2.3Mw plant due to alleged pollution in the area.
According to one of the area leaders David Gathuru, Kengen had promised to compensate them for the crops and roofing material damaged but this had not happened.
Gathuru said that tens of farmers had lost all their crops which had withered due to the harmful steam from the wells.
“Kengen promised to compensate us for the losses months ago but this has not happened and hence the demonstration,” he said.
The farmer said that there were fears of food shortage in the area due to the damage done on the crops by the steam.
Kengen’s geothermal development manager Godfrey Muchemi said that they had been waiting for an assessment report from the Ministry of Agriculture.
He confirmed receiving the report adding that they were studying it before addressing the issue of compensation.
“The farmers have complained that the damage done on their crops was because of the steam and we engaged the Ministry of Agriculture to investigate the matter,” he said.
Gilgil DC Kamau Karung’o has called for a meeting on Tuesday to address the impasse.
