THE LAMU COUNTY BIOCULTURAL COMMUNITY PROTOCOL

The Lamu County Bio-Cultural Community Protocol (BCP) is a communal document developed by the indigenous communities of Lamu County, Kenya, to document their traditional knowledge, natural resource management systems, and concerns regarding large-scale development projects. It outlines the distinct livelihoods of the Bajun, Swahili, Orma, Sanye, and Aweer peoples and asserts their rights to land, culture, and a healthy environment under Kenyan and international law.

• Lamu County is home to five primary indigenous communities—the Bajun, Swahili, Sanye, Aweer, and Orma—who have developed specialized, interdependent livelihoods based on the region's diverse ecology, including marine, forest, and agricultural zones.
• The LAPSSET project (Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor) is viewed as a threat to local livelihoods due to a lack of community consultation, flawed Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), and the potential for massive population growth from 110,000 to over 1.25 million people.
• The proposed Amu Power coal plant at Kwasasi is opposed by the community due to risks of air pollution, ash waste, and a cooling system that would release thermal effluent into the bay, potentially killing marine life and damaging mangrove forests.
• Indigenous groups in Lamu face significant land insecurity and historical injustices, including forced removals during the 1960s Shifta War and the loss of ancestral lands to government settlement schemes and political elites.
• Traditional decision-making in Lamu is based on councils of elders (such as the 'mzee wamui' for Swahili/Bajun or 'gume' for Aweer), though these structures have been largely usurped by the Kenyan government's provincial administration.
• The community asserts that the Government of Kenya has violated their rights to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) and access to information regarding the port and coal projects, leading to a successful 2018 High Court case that recognized traditional fishing rights as property.
• The BCP demands several remedial actions, including the recognition of community land rights, the establishment of a Human Resources Development Fund for local youth, and the replacement of the coal plant with renewable energy sources like solar and wind.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). THE LAMU COUNTY BIOCULTURAL COMMUNITY PROTOCOL. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Lamu-County-BCP-2018.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. THE LAMU COUNTY BIOCULTURAL COMMUNITY PROTOCOL. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Lamu-County-BCP-2018.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=THE LAMU COUNTY BIOCULTURAL COMMUNITY PROTOCOL |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Lamu-County-BCP-2018.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendlamu, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{THE LAMU COUNTY BIOCULTURAL COMMUNITY PROTOCOL}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Lamu-County-BCP-2018.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }