The Politics of Dam-Induced Displacement and Resettlement in Mwache Dam, Kenya

Abstract

There are various political dynamics of dam-induced displacement and resettlement in Kenya, based on the case of the Mwache Dam Project. Mwache Dam is a unique case since it displaced the indigenous people from coastal Kenya, and the project is among the projects that are part of Kenya’s Vision 2030. The construction of the Mwache Dam displaced many households, and according to the constitution of Kenya, the displaced households must be compensated for land, assets, and properties lost. The entire displacement and resettlement process brought about many grievances, ranging from under-compensation and delays to land loss, social ties, and justice. They established that the politics of dam-induced displacement and resettlement in Mwache Dam cannot be adequately understood from the ruling class view or humanitarian view only, but there is a need to understand the impacts of colonial and post-colonial periods on land reforms, financing, and governance in Kenya, which have marginalized coastal region communities for a long period. The study shows how political powers influence compensation frameworks and how this affects displaced communities. Further, it shows how the resettlement planning implementation process has a lot of loopholes, which lead to major delays and injustices. All these led to legal battles, but in the end, the displaced communities suffered a lot and were left vulnerable. From these scenarios, this conceptualizes displacement and resettlement not as a linear policy response, but as something oriented in the political sphere. This study contributes to justice in terms of compensation, transparency in the entire displacement and resettlement process, and actual public participation. It emphasizes resettlement policies to be effective so that there is a win-win situation between the state and displaced communities.