LODWAR, Kenya, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Transportation of crude oil from Kenya's Turkana County in northeast region to the coastal city of Mombasa will resume next week after protesting residents agreed to end the blockade, officials and leaders said on Friday.
Residents and their leaders made the decision to end protest against the truck ferrying the oil from Ngamia 8 after the government pledged to improve security in the county and borders.
Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Mongo Chimwaga and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary John Munyes brokered the deal after a lengthy deliberation with lawmakers and elders.
Chimwanga announced that the concerns raised by the community will be addressed with immediate effect to ensure Tullow Oil operations resume.
"We had healthy discussions with the stakeholders and the State has assured residents of security and issues raised will be worked on. Trucks transporting crude oil to Mombasa will resume next Wednesday," the government official told Xinhua.
He said that combined teams of security personnel will now be deployed in the troubled areas to combat cases of banditry and cattle rustling.
"We issued express directive that police ruthlessly deal with bandits roaming the region and we will not tolerate political incitement among communities living in the region," Chamwanga said.
Munyes who hails from the county assured that concerns raised by locals on oil will be taken into consideration.
"We have agreed to allow the movement of oil to resume after the State promised to act on the concern of the community," Turkana South legislator James Lomenen told Xinhua.
Oil transportation from the area has been disrupted for one week after residents blocked trucks carrying the commodity to Mombasa demanding that the government provide them security and stop external intrusions.
The locals also demanded that the oil firm give them priority in tenders and employment. An official with who declined to be named said the firm is incurring 2.5 million U.S. dollars in loses every day as the truck remained blocked by the locals.
"The disruption is a big loss to us. Some of the machines and equipment we are using are hired and we are losing 2.5 million dollars daily since the oil movement was stopped by residents," said the official.
