Gov't develops oil and gas communication strategy to address community mistrust

Kenya is developing a national oil and gas communication strategy to address a growing trust deficit between project developers and communities, with concerns over compensation, revenue sharing, employment, water security and livelihoods emerging as key barriers to public acceptance of major projects.

Speaking during the validation workshop for the strategy, stakeholders emphasised the need for communication that reflects local realities rather than relying on a uniform national messaging approach.

The strategy further recommends establishing clear channels for handling grievances, publishing information in plain language, managing WhatsApp platforms responsibly and tailoring communication to women, young people and other audience groups.

It aims to improve transparency, strengthen public participation and address misinformation, while resolving grievances that can fuel opposition to projects.

“Disinformation and political interference: How do we deal with it in the strategy? Because if it's not dealt with, it is still going to curtail our efforts. We can have the strategy very well done, but the threats still persist: environmental and operational events. We have NEMA, and these are threats—the spillages and all that, the land use and compensation. Those are part of the threat," said Impact Strategy Consultant Dr Enoch Warinda.

Lead Consultant Dr Victoria Kutto added, “We are coming from a place where we have a trust deficit. When trust is missing, communities across the oil and gas counties describe being informed of decisions, but they are not consulted on them, which will bring a deficit in trust, and we need to address that.”