Lamu Beach Management Unit (BMU) Chair man Abubakar Twalib in Lamu Town on November 30, 2025. He pleaded with KPA and the government to fast-track the first phase of Lapasset compensation for fishermen.
A fresh dispute has erupted between fishermen in Lamu County and the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) over delayed compensation to over 200 fishermen affected by the construction of the port, stalling implementation of a Sh600 million empowerment plan.
The State released a Sh1.7 billion payout in May 2024 to compensate 4,734 Lamu fishermen affected by dredging activities as directed by the Court of Appeal, following a rigorous verification process undertaken by KPA.
The compensation process was to follow two phases. The first phase comprised 65 percent of the cash (Sh1.1 billion), which was to be paid to the fishermen as monetary compensation. The remaining 35 percent (Sh600 million) was to be given in the second phase in the form of empowerment through programmes such as the purchase of modern fishing equipment and other initiatives.
Almost a year and a half later, 4,514 of the 4,734 fishers have received their payout, with more than 200 yet to be compensated. Those affected have demanded that KPA fast-track the process, claiming that most of the remaining beneficiaries are dying before receiving anything.
In addition, the second phase of compensation cannot be initiated until phase one is completed. The fishermen were expecting to revamp their economic activities from the Sh600 million empowerment plans.
Led by Lamu Beach Management Unit (BMU) Secretary Abubakar Twalib, they issued a 14-day ultimatum for the compensation task force to resolve the pending issues and clear the last batch of beneficiaries, or they will call for demonstrations.
“You can imagine how painful it is when someone dies without receiving their pay after waiting for compensation for almost a decade. We feel it’s strategic that our compensation is delayed so that our money can continue generating interest for those in charge,” said Mr Twalib.
Shrouded in secrecy
Mr Mohamed Ahmed, one of the affected fishermen, questioned why the verification and compensation process is shrouded in secrecy.
“We’re just appealing for the concerned people to pay us and close the first phase to pave the way for the second phase. We’ve waited for long to have our lives changed through compensation,” said Mr Ahmed.
Since the establishment of the Lamu Port in Kililana, Lamu West, local fishermen have faced difficulties in conducting their activities in the Lamu ocean waters. Many are now forced to live impoverished lives due to continued use of outdated equipment that cannot withstand the rough ocean.
“As artisanal fishermen, we can’t fish near the port in Kililana. The water there is dusty and rough. All this is due to the dredging that took place. We need modern tools to enable us to venture in the deep seas,” said Mr Ahmed.
In response, KPA, which is in charge of the compensation process, distanced itself from the ongoing delays. Mr Jones Buchere, the KPA Corporate Communications Manager, said the authority and the Lamu Port Fishermen Compensation Taskforce issued a notice to the fisherfolk between May and July 2025 to present themselves at the KPA Lamu Jetty Office for verification of their identity cards and bank details.
KPA lawyer (left) assists one of the Lapsset-affected fishermen through the verification process for compensation in front of the Lamu County Commissioner's office in Mokowe in March, 2023. So far, a total of 4,514 fishermen have been paid.
According to Mr Buchere, only 125 fishers turned up for processing, out of which three had data-related issues involving documents such as IDs or incorrect bank accounts. Four others are yet to sign the agreements required for the compensation to be initiated.
Mr Buchere said 30 fishermen failed to show up for verification, while 44 others are still on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission disputed list.
In May 2018, the Malindi High Court awarded 4,734 Lamu fishermen a Sh1.76 billion compensation package due to the adverse effects brought about by dredging activities for the construction of the first three berths of the Lamu Port at the Kililana site.
The fishermen had argued that they would no longer be able to carry on with their venture due to the dredging activities. They said their livelihoods would be permanently affected and, as such, they deserved compensation to enable them to pursue alternative livelihoods.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
