A local to global perspective on oil and wind exploitation, resource governance and conflict in Northern Kenya

In north-western Kenya, significant oil reserves have been discovered and the first oil trucks have left Turkana County in June 2018. On the east side of Lake Turkana, the largest wind power project on the African continent was completed in mid-2017. This article applies a local to global perspective to explore the benefits and externalities for the local communities living in close proximity to the oil and wind exploitation sites. A particular focus is placed on governance of energy resources, water and employment opportunities and its impacts on new and existing conflict dynamics. The article is based on extensive field research conducted between 2016 and 2018. Results suggest that similarities between oil and wind exploitation can be identified in terms of unmet promises of compensation for land and community expectations for employment which cause tensions and conflicts between the operating companies and the local communities. Differences exist with respect to externalities such as environmental pollution that are expected to be higher for the production of oil than for wind energy.