"Rejoinder by International Accountability Project"

The findings highlighted issues related to communities’ access to project information, Akiira Geothermal Limited’s consultation and involvement of the communities in the project project, benefit sharing and the project’s benefit to the communities. For example, the findings indicate that 64% of the respondents in the affected communities were never consulted during the design phase of the project, and among those who were consulted, 73% of the respondents lacked sufficient information to provide informed opinions and ideas about the project.

From these and other findings, we invite Akiira Geothermal Limited to respond directly to the concerns raised by the community members, which include:

1. Providing for their full and unconditional participation in decision-making, including the free will to elect trusted representatives to the committees who can uphold their interests without any undue influence from the company or its agents.

2. Fulfilling its obligations under the Constitution of Kenya (2010) and Community Land Act (2016) including compensation for land, pollution control and provision of alternative livelihoods (guarantee job opportunities and capacity building to the communities) and based on mutual agreement between Akiira Geothermal Limited and affected communities.

3. Having a clearly negotiated and agreed upon benefit sharing formula based on Section 35(1) of the Community Land Act that stipulates that natural resources found on community land shall be used and managed for the benefit of the whole community including future generations and on the basis of equitable sharing of accruing benefits.

4. Recognizing Kambiturkana Village residents who were excluded from all negotiations involving the Akiira Geothermal Limited and the community as owners of the land that they occupy, provide them with regular project information updates and consider them in the project’s benefit sharing and decision making processes.