{"id":5936,"date":"2025-10-21T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T09:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powershiftafrica.org\/blogs\/timeline-of-events-lamu-coal-project"},"modified":"2026-10-28T09:48:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T09:48:33","slug":"timeline-of-events-lamu-coal-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/blogs\/timeline-of-events-lamu-coal-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Timeline of events: Lamu coal project"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><figure style=\"width: 1536px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\" Image source: Dana Ullman for Foreign Policy \" src=\"https:\/\/images.squarespace-cdn.com\/content\/v1\/657880dcd408ac495a5cc888\/0f43a442-fe67-4c54-bc86-48c3bd699f66\/Lamu-Kenya-coal-development-China_16.webp?format=original\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image source: Dana Ullman for Foreign Policy<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you ever need proof that people can win against fossil fuel giants, look to the coast of Kenya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For over a decade, the people of Lamu have stood firm against a proposed 1,050 MW coal power plant backed by Amu Power Company Ltd. Supported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.savelamu.org\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Save Lamu<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/decoalonize.net\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>DeCOALonize<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/naturaljustice.org\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Natural Justice<\/strong><\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/katibainstitute.org\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Katiba Institute<\/strong><\/a>, they built one of the most resilient climate justice movements in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The plant was to be constructed on Manda Bay in Lamu, within the rich, biodiverse ecosystem of the Lamu Archipelago \u2014 just 20 kilometres from Lamu Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated as the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And this month, they won. Again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s a timeline of how the decade-long people\u2019s movement turned the tide against coal in Kenya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\n<h4>\n<button>\n<span>2013 \u2014 The Beginning of a Battle<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>The Kenyan government issued an <strong>Expression of Interest<\/strong> inviting investors to develop a coal power plant in Lamu. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4>\n<button>\n<span>2014 \u2014 The Consortium Steps In<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>By September 2014, it was announced that the 1,050 MW coal plant would be built by Amu Power Company Ltd, a consortium comprising Kenyan firms Centum Investment Group and Gulf Energy Ltd, alongside Chinese partners China Huadian, Sichuan Electric Power Design and Consulting Company, and Sichuan No. 3 Power Construction Company.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4>\n<button>\n<span>2015 \u2014 Finance Secured<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>In June 2015, the <strong>Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)<\/strong> signed a financing agreement with the consortium, pledging to arrange approximately <strong>USD 900 million<\/strong> in export credit and act as the project\u2019s financial advisor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4>\n<button>\n<span>2016 \u2014 Community Pushback Begins<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>In September, Kenya\u2019s National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) issued an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licence to Amu Power, based on its submitted Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).<\/p><p>However, the same year, the Lamu County Assembly rejected that ESIA report, demanding a clear resettlement plan for residents whose land would be affected. The project had already earmarked 975 acres for development, potentially displacing 600 landowners.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4>\n<button>\n<span>2017 \u2014 The Legal Fight Takes Shape<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>In February, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) claimed all environmental, technical, and economic concerns raised by Save Lamu had been addressed, granting construction approval.<\/p><p>That same month, Save Lamu, supported by civil society allies, filed a lawsuit against Amu Power Company and NEMA, arguing that the EIA licence had been unlawfully obtained and lacked proper public participation.<\/p><p>Later in July, newly appointed ERC Director Pavel Oimeke dismissed community objections against issuing an energy generation license and quietly approved it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4>\n<button>\n<span>2019 \u2014 LAMU&#8217;S First Big Win<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>In June, the National Environment Tribunal (NET) delivered a landmark judgment revoking Amu Power\u2019s environmental license, citing failures in stakeholder consultation and environmental due process.<\/p><p>On July 26, the Tribunal further ruled that both Amu Power and NEMA had violated the law by approving the project without genuine community participation or a fair evaluation of cleaner alternatives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4>\n<button>\n<span>2019\u20132020 \u2014 The Appeal and Withdrawals<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>In September 2019, Amu Power appealed the ruling. But momentum had shifted. By November 2020, ICBC  informed civil society groups it was withdrawing from the deal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4>\n<button>\n<span>2024 \u2014 The Case Resurfaces<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>In October 2024, deCOALonize Kenya reported that Amu Power had submitted written arguments for its 2019 appeal earlier that year. The Environment and Land Court scheduled a hearing for October 17, 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4>\n<button>\n<span>2025 \u2014 Justice Upheld<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>On March 3, 2025, the Environment and Land Court held a full hearing on Amu Power\u2019s appeal.<\/p><p>Finally, on October 16, 2025, the Court upheld the NET\u2019s 2019 ruling, once again revoking the Lamu coal project\u2019s EIA licence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For over a decade, the people of Lamu have stood firm against a proposed 1,050 MW coal power plant backed by Amu Power Company Ltd. The plant was to be constructed on Manda Bay in Lamu, within the rich, biodiverse ecosystem of the Lamu Archipelago<\/p>","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":5937,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[25],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-5936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs","tag-energy-transition"],"acf":{"url":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5936"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5936\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9560,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5936\/revisions\/9560"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5936"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=5936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}