Arrival of the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project
Our community is being affected by the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project (LTWP), a large-scale renewable energy development located in Loiyangalani and Gatab Ward, Marsabit County, in northern Kenya. It is a wind power generation project, promoted as part of Kenya’s transition to clean and renewable energy.
The project is owned by Lake Turkana Wind Power Ltd, a consortium of foreign and local investors. While presented as a private-sector–led initiative, it has been enabled and actively supported by the Government of Kenya, including both national and county authorities. Financing came from a mix of international development banks, private investors, and European development finance institutions, positioning it as a flagship renewable energy investment in Africa. . The Dutch Development Bank FMO, the European Investment Bank, Norfund, Finnfund and the Danish Climate Investment Fund have provided the €678m needed to finance the project.
The project entered our community’s life during the exploration and early construction phase, when large parcels of land were leased by the State. Community members were not meaningfully consulted, despite being the traditional and ancestral landowners. Many people first heard about the project when surveyors, security personnel, and heavy machinery appeared on community land.
For many women, the first sign of the project was sudden restriction of access to grazing areas, fishing points, and cultural sites. One elderly woman from Loiyangalani recalled: “One morning we were told this land no longer belonged to us. There was no meeting, no explanation. We were just pushed away.” What was presented as a national development project immediately disrupted trust, community cohesion, and women’s sense of safety.
Despite unresolved land and compensation claims linked to this project, there are now plans by a state parastatal power generation company to develop additional wind energy projects in the same area, deepening fear, resistance, and uncertainty among women and indigenous communities.
Who We Are: The EL-MOSARETU Communities
The affected population is collectively known as the EL-MOSARETU communities, comprising the El Molo, Samburu, Rendille, and Turkana indigenous peoples. These communities live along the eastern shores of Lake Turkana, primarily in Loiyangalani and Gatab Ward.
According to the 2019 Kenya National Bureau of Statistics census, the population of this area is estimated at approximately 35,000 people. The community is predominantly rural, with livelihoods centered on pastoralism, fishing, and small-scale trade. Women play a critical role in household economies through fish processing, water collection, caregiving, and sustaining cultural knowledge.
The region is geographically isolated—over 1,000 km from Nairobi and more than 280 km from Marsabit town—with poor road networks and limited access to state services. Basic services such as healthcare, clean water, electricity, and education are scarce or under-resourced. Ironically, despite hosting one of Africa’s largest wind power projects, many households in the area remain without electricity.
Land holds deep cultural, spiritual, and economic significance. It is not only a source of livelihood but also identity, ancestry, and belonging. Women carry responsibility for land use and family survival, yet are often excluded from formal land ownership and decision-making structures.
What Changed: Environmental, Social, and Cultural Impacts
Environmental Impacts
The wind power project has significantly altered the local environment. Large tracts of grazing land were fenced off, restricting livestock movement and intensifying conflict over the remaining resources. Construction activities caused dust pollution, disrupted wildlife corridors, and damaged fragile ecosystems in this arid region.
Social and Economic Impacts
Many women were displaced from ancestral land without adequate compensation or alternative livelihoods. Promises of employment largely excluded local women, particularly single mothers, women with disabilities, and elderly women. As income opportunities declined, the cost of living increased.
Benefits allegedly meant for the community were reportedly channeled to the county government “in trust”, with no transparency or community participation in decision-making. Women have repeatedly demanded disclosure of how much money was paid and how it has been used.
One single mother shared: “They say development is coming, but my children are hungrier than before. The land that fed us is gone, and no one listens when we ask questions.”
Cultural and Psychological Impacts
Sacred sites and ancestral pathways were disrupted. Women human rights defenders were labeled “troublemakers”, subjected to intimidation, verbal abuse, and threats from business interests, politicians, and state actors. These attacks have caused fear, stress, and trauma, especially for women leading advocacy efforts.
Women-led Community Resistance and Advocacy
In response to these harms, Wongan Women Initiative (WWI) has been at the forefront of organizing community resistance and advocacy. WWI champions an intersectional approach to land and energy justice, ensuring that women —especially single women, divorced women, women with disabilities, and women-headed households—are included in community land registration processes.
WWI’s advocacy is grounded in the Community Land Act of 2016, which recognizes collective land tenure for indigenous communities. The organization has consistently called for:
- Full registration of community land with women included in the communal land register
- Application of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)
- Transparent and accountable benefit-sharing agreements
- Full compensation for displacement and damages
Advocacy strategies include community dialogues, legal awareness sessions, engagement with county and national authorities, coalition-building with women’s movements across the continent, and public campaigns.
This resistance has come at a cost. WWI members face serious security risks, including surveillance, harassment, and threats. Women leaders have been publicly defamed, underscoring the need for structured risk assessments, safety planning, and both digital and physical security measures.
Despite these challenges, solidarity remains strong. Women continue to organize, speak out, and support one another, refusing to be silenced.
Community Vision for the Future
Our community is not opposed to energy development. We are opposed to development that is harmful, unjust, and exclusionary. We envision a future where:
- Community land is fully registered and protected, with women recognized as rights holders
- Energy projects respect FPIC and the Right to Say No
- Communities receive fair compensation and direct benefits
- Women participate equally in decision-making and benefit management
- Basic services—electricity, water, healthcare, and education—are guaranteed for host communities
A truly just energy transition must prioritize people over profit, dignity over displacement, and rights over rhetoric. For the women of Loiyangalani, justice means safety, land, voice, and the freedom to shape our own future.
About the author
Teresalba Sintiyan is a committed human rights activist with practical experience in advocacy, rights based education and community empowerment. She currently serves as the Executive Director at Won’gan Women Initiative, an organisation established to address the urgent need for indigenous women inclusion in key discussions around land rights and energy access in Marsabit County. As a trained teacher, Teresalba incorporates rights based education and activism by amplifying the powerful narratives of indigenous women’s struggle and resilience. She continues to push for the meaningful participation of indigenous women as compared to the current tokenistic nature of this process. Teresalba brings a strong ethical foundation, professionalism and a deep devotion to social justice and the holistic development of children and communities