Wajir South community clash with Simba Energy over unfulfilled agreement

By: Abdikadir Okash

WAJIR—The community in Wajir South and an oil and gas company exploring minerals in the area have disagreed on the details of an agreement that the locals say the firm has since reneged on.

Mukhtar Sheikh Nur, the chairman of the Oil and Gas Exploration committee of the Wajir South community said the management of the firm has failed to honour a section of an agreement entered into by the community and the company ahead of the exploration exercise.

He adds that the process was hijacked by brokers who do not represent the interest of the locals.

“We are the legitimate representatives of the Wajir South interest in this process because we are here thanks to the appointment of 300 people from Wajir South who entrusted us with their welfare,” Mukhtar told Kulan Post.

The meeting that led to the appointment of the Committee took place on the 15^th of June at Hilton Place Hotel in Wajir.

A day later, the selected committee members and the management of Simba Energy met to draft a Memorandum of Understanding.

In the agreement document seen by Kulan Post, Simba Energy and the local community agreed on the implementation of three key issues before the start of the exploration.

“We agreed that they would hire 300 staff from the local community, set up their campsite on the outskirts of Wajir town and implement nine projects in the larger Wajir South before the actual exploration begins,” Mukhtar, who also serves as the spokesman of the committee said.

The community wanted a dining hall at Leheley Secondary School, boreholes in Leheley and Boji Yarey,  dams in Sukela, Daqane Walo and Argani. A healthcare center in Hodan and piping of water from the dam at Ibrahim Ure was also part of the agreement.

“They only project they started is the Leheley project and they (Simba Energy) soon left after they set up the foundation of the structure,” Mukhtar said.

Hassan Hassan, the CEO of Simba Energy at a past event. Hassan said he would work with non-hostile mediums to solve the Wajir South impasse. Photo/ COURTESY

We caught up with the Chief Executive Officer of Simba Energy, Hassan Hassan who started by discrediting the selected committee.

“But they are here to represent the interest of the community that you want to explore their land for oil and Gas?” we asked.

“I have millions of dollars in investment here and I can’t allow it to halt just like that,” he replied.

He maintained that he would work with the community, but only through non-hostile mediums.

At the time of the interview, Hassan came out of a meeting where the communities in Wajir East were protesting the arrest and alleged gunshot wounds sustained by local members who stopped the exploration of the land.

Administration police officers escorting officials from the Simba Energy reportedly shot at least two of the local men, attracting uproar on social media and from the political leaders in the County.

Permit suspended

In a meeting held at the Governor’s boardroom in Wajir and attended by the County Commissioner, Wajir East MP Abass Sheikh Mohamed and the CEO of Simba Energy Hassan, Governor Ahmed Abdullahi said, “The local chief may be wrong, the public may be wrong but the officers should not have used excessive force.

“The lives of our people are more important than the exploration of the gas and oil,” the governor said.

“As a result of that, I have withdrawn the permit issued with the work permit issued by the county government,” Ahmed added.

“I was licensed by the Nairobi (National government) and this project will have to continue,” Hassan insisted.

The exploration project covers two wards: Lagboqol and Ibrahim Ure. The bulk of the project would be implemented in Wajir South (90%) and the remaining ten percent in Wajir East and Wajir West.

“We demand an environmental impact assessment to be conduct before the projects smoothly restarts,” Mukhar noted.