Lockdown in Kilifi County Kenya: What lies on the other side?

The document details how Kurawa Industries Limited illegally expanded its salt pans in Magarini Sub County, Kilifi, causing saltwater seepage that killed the coconut crops of the Mwangi family. Despite efforts by Natural Justice to secure accountability through Access to Information requests to NEMA and inquiries with the Department of Physical Planning, the company operated without the required permits. The case highlights how COVID-19 lockdowns in Kilifi County have further hindered the agricultural assessment needed for compensation and increased the family's vulnerability by restricting access to water.

• Kurawa Industries Limited expanded its salt pans from 2017 onwards, leading to the death of coconut cash crops for the Mwangi family because poorly constructed dykes allowed water to seep into agricultural land, making it saline.
• Investigations by Natural Justice revealed that the salt pan expansion was illegal, as the Department of Physical Planning in Kilifi County had no record of an application or approved drawings and plans for the dykes.
• The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) provided an Environmental Impact Assessment report and license that were for a different activity, suggesting the expansion occurred without the legally required license.
• COVID-19 lockdowns in Kilifi County have delayed the production of an agricultural assessment report necessary for calculating compensation and have restricted the Mwangi family's access to domestic water.

APA

Martens, C. (2020). Lockdown in Kilifi County Kenya: What lies on the other side? Natural Justice. https://naturaljustice.org/lockdown-in-kilifi-county-kenya-what-lies-on-the-other-side/

Chicago

Martens, Claire. Lockdown in Kilifi County Kenya: What lies on the other side? Natural Justice, 2020. https://naturaljustice.org/lockdown-in-kilifi-county-kenya-what-lies-on-the-other-side/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martens |first1=Claire |title=Lockdown in Kilifi County Kenya: What lies on the other side? |publisher=Natural Justice |date=18 May 2020 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/lockdown-in-kilifi-county-kenya-what-lies-on-the-other-side/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martens2020lockdown, author = {Martens, Claire}, title = {{Lockdown in Kilifi County Kenya: What lies on the other side?}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/lockdown-in-kilifi-county-kenya-what-lies-on-the-other-side/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }