Save Lamu at the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission

Natural Justice partner, Save Lamu, successfully read and presented a memorandum on historical land injustices to the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission in Lamu, Kenya on the 9th January 2012. Save Lamu, a coalition of Indigenous communities of Lamu, has been working with Natural Justice to develop a biocultural community protocol (BCP) to call for transparency and full participation in the process of considering developing a mega-port on their traditional lands and waters from the Kenyan government. Save Lamu is a member of the BCP Initiative, a network of communities developing BCPs in Africa and Asia. The memorandum covered the following issues, all of which are exacerbated by the port development: 

1. Illegal/un-procedural Adjudication of Government Land; 

2. Lack of Compensation for Displaced persons; 

3. Un-procedural Settlement Schemes; 

4. Failure to Recognize Natural Resource Rights; 

5. Misuse of State Power to Gain Land without Consultation or Compensation; 

6. Intimidation by Organized Groups and Powerful Leaders. 

The Save Lamu memorandum can be accessed here.