Church seeks fair compensation for Kenyans relocated by mine project

Published: 2004-07-28

MOMBASA, Kenya (CNS) -- A Canadian company's plans to mine titanium in southeastern Kenya is meeting resistance from church officials who fear some residents may not be adequately compensated for their land. In late June, the Kenyan government granted a 21-year lease to Tiomin Resources Inc. for its $120 million strip-mining project in Kwale district. As part of a relocation package for farmers and others living in the region, each household is to receive five acres of farmland and one acre of residential land on a nearby former sugar plantation. They will also receive $1,000 an acre for their land; a portion of the mining royalty payable to the Kenyan government will be allocated to the Kwale County Council. When Tiomin first began negotiating with the government and the affected communities in the late 1990s, the company offered residents $112.50 per acre. While the compensation package has increased substantially, there are still many problems to be ironed out, said officials with the Archdiocese of Mombasa and Catholic Relief Services, who have been meeting with farmers and senior government officials over the past two years.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .