As Kenya prepares to transition into commercial oil production, residents of Turkana are looking beyond the first barrel of crude to what could become one of the county’s biggest economic transformations in history.
For many professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders, the real prize is not the oil itself but the jobs, business opportunities and infrastructure that could emerge over the project’s expected 25-year lifespan.
The renewed optimism comes as Gulf Energy advances plans to commercialise the South Lokichar oil fields, with production expected to begin once regulatory approvals and project development are completed.
Professionals from Turkana are already pushing for the strict implementation of local content provisions under the Petroleum Act, insisting that residents must be at the centre of the industry’s workforce.
“We need to untap the potential within our local communities where they can transform the knowledge they already have about oil into practical expertise. That will make it easier for operationalisation and help achieve the production targets envisioned for the project,” one petroleum professional said.
Another stakeholder urged the government and the investor to honour local content commitments.
“The law is clear that 70 per cent of employment opportunities should go to locals. We are not asking for favours. We simply want the law implemented as it is written,” he said.
Women professionals have also appealed for greater inclusion in the sector.
Out of 55 applicants seeking opportunities in technical petroleum fields, only ten are women. The professionals are urging Gulf Energy to deliberately recruit and mentor more women to improve gender representation in the industry.
“We want to be part of the positive change and contribute to unlocking the natural resources beneath our land,” one of the female professionals said.
Their demands echo assurances given by lawmakers during the recent visit by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Energy to Turkana.
National Assembly Energy Committee Chairperson Hon. David Gikaria said Parliament would ensure the South Lokichar Oil Project delivers meaningful benefits to the host community before giving its full backing. He said local employment, business opportunities, environmental protection and equitable sharing of benefits remained central to Parliament’s oversight of the project.
His Senate counterpart, Hon. Oburu Oginga, said the committee was committed to ensuring the project protects the interests of both the country and the people of Turkana through transparent implementation of the Field Development Plan and Production Sharing Contracts.
The project is expected to generate hundreds of direct jobs in drilling, engineering, production, logistics, environmental management, health and safety, security and administration.
Thousands more indirect opportunities are anticipated through transport services, catering, accommodation, construction, equipment hire, fuel supply, waste management and other support industries.
Local businesses are expected to compete for contracts worth billions of shillings over the life of the project, while investment in roads, electricity, telecommunications and water infrastructure could unlock wider economic growth beyond the oil sector.
The project also presents an opportunity for skilled youth from Turkana who have studied petroleum engineering, geology, environmental science and other technical disciplines to secure employment closer to home.
Beyond employment, revenues generated from oil production are expected to support community development through investments in education, healthcare, water supply and other public infrastructure if revenue-sharing mechanisms are implemented effectively.
However, community leaders caution that the promise of oil will only be realised if commitments on local content, transparency and equitable benefit-sharing are honoured.
As the countdown to commercial production continues, the debate in Turkana is no longer about whether oil will be extracted, but about who will benefit from the wealth beneath the county’s soil over the next quarter century.
