| Keywords |
Participatory, Management, OP 4.12, Resettlement Action Plan, Project Affected Persons, Implementation, Stakeholder Co-ordination Committee, Memorandum of Understanding, RAPland |
| Abstract |
Participatory Project Management: The Olkaria IV Geothermal Project RAP Implementation Case in Kenya By Florah Mwawughanga Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC P.O Box 47936-00100-Nairobi Kenya fmaghuwa@kengen.co.ke Keywords: Participatory, Management, OP 4.12, Resettlement Action Plan, Project Affected Persons, Implementation, Stakeholder Co-ordination Committee, Memorandum of Understanding, RAPland ABSTRACT Olkaria IV was part of the 280 MW Geothermal projects financed by the World Bank (WB) and the (European Investment Bank EIB) and implemented by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen). The 140 MW Olkaria IV was one of the Kenya Energy Expansion Projects (KEEP P103037, Olkaria IV). Prior to implementation, the Environmental and Social Impact Assessments for projects identified the need to relocate the Maasai communities resident in 4 villages in the neighbourhood that would have been adversely impacted upon by high cumulative ground level concentrations of hydrogen sulphide gas emissions and noise levels from the proposed projects. A Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) was formulated as the framework for the relocation of the Project Affected Persons (PAPs), with The World Bank Involuntary Resettlement Policy (OP 4.12) as a guide. To ensure a structured implementation process of the RAP and meet OP 4.12 guideline requirements realize a smooth resettlement process, a number of organs were formulated. These were Resettlement Action Plan Implementation Committee (RAPIC), the Stakeholder Co-ordination Committee (SCC), Community Advisory Council (CAC) and Projects Implementation Team (PIT). Through these organs, by following the guidelines, successful negotiations were reached with and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in July 2013 between KenGen and PAPs. The main objective of the MoU was to safeguard the interests of both PAPs and KenGen. The community finally agreed to relocate and moved to the resettlement area (RAPland) in August 2014. The process provided a lot of experience and great lessons that will be vital in the implementation of future geothermal projects that may require resettlement. This paper outlines the resettlement journey in the Olkaria VI geothermal project in meeting and balancing the requirements of the communities, the financiers, the project implementer, and other stakeholders in ensuring a successful resettlement programme. The journey was not easy but ultimately done, providing great lessons for implementation of similar projects in future. |