Local content development in Kenya's extractive Sector - Turkana County

This meeting report summarises the proceedings and outcome of the fourth Extractives Sector Forum (ESF), bringing together companies, government, civil society organisations and academia to discuss key concerns and emerging issues in the extractives sector in Kenya.

The session, convened by IHRB, Turkana Natural Resource Governance Hub, Friends of Lake Turkana (FoLT), and The Aga Khan University, focused on ‘County Level Local Content’ and was held in Lodwar, Turkana County, on 23 November 2016.

This ESF was premised on the fact that while there has been extensive discussion on local content at the national level, local voices had not had adequate opportunity to contribute to the conversation. In addition, a key recommendation of the third ESF was to take local content conversations to the grassroots in order to reach populations who are the most directly affected, or are potential beneficiaries of good local content policies.

The ESF aimed to provide an opportunity for local community members and stakeholders in Turkana to weigh in on discussions on how local content policies including the recently published Local Content Bill 2016 can promote or impede equitable economic participation and benefits.

Image: Flickr/filiberto74