Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, has more than four years of financial, business, and technology research and reporting expertise, providing insights into Kenyan and global trends.

Residents of Miasenyi-Majengo Mapya in Taita Taveta county are set to receive compensation for damages caused by an oil spillage in 2016.

The High Court in Voi has ordered the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) to pay KSh 200 million to the residents for damages caused by an oil spill that resulted from a pipeline burst in November 2016.

“Kenya Pipeline Company had a duty to ensure its infrastructure was well maintained to prevent environmental damage and health hazards. The failure to do so constitutes gross negligence,” the court ruled.

The affected residents, led by Martha Mwakia, Gladys John, Bernard Deghua, Jane Matano, and Cyril Mwavandu, argued that the oil spill rendered their lands infertile and uninhabitable.

They sought compensation, stating that the spill affected more than 150 villages, destroying crops and causing respiratory illnesses such as coughing, flu, and asthma among community members.

The petitioners further contended that the soil remains permanently infertile due to contamination. Additionally, they claimed that burst water pipes often lead to oil seeping into drinking water, unknowingly exposing residents to health risks.