Poor road, broken bridge that threaten Kenya’s first crude oil flow from Lokichar

Kainuk Bridge in Lodwar and Kitale Road, which has been washed away by the raging floods.

Barely hours before the flagging off of oil trucking from Lokichar by President Uhuru Kenyatta, myriad challenges dot the prospects of its success.

Two weeks ago, the government got the support of Turkana County leadership to start exporting crude oil produced in Lokichar on a pilot basis from tomorrow (Sunday).

While the county leadership and the local community calmed their resistance that stood in the way of the Early Oil Pilot Scheme (EOPS), this did not take away the challenges.

Top of these is the poor road between Lokichar and Kitale, which has been a perennial problem. Along the road is the now infamous Kainuk Bridge.

Many travellers have spent nights on either side of the Turkwel River, unable to cross whenever there are heavy rains. Vehicles, including heavy commercial trucks, have been damaged and others swept away as drivers attempt to cut through raging waters.

The pilot project has already had a dose of the Kainuk Bridge, with the equipment used for the construction of the early oil production facility project stalling at Kainuk for weeks because the trucks could not cross the bridge following the short rains in October last year.

It is through the same road and bridge that the trucks moving oil from the fields of Lokichar will pass.

Incomplete repairs

The refurbishing of the Kenya Petroleum Refineries in Mombasa that will hold the crude before it is exported is also yet to be completed.

While the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has repaired one 90-million litre tank, it is yet to complete repairing another two of the same capacity and upgrade a pipeline between the refineries and an offshore loading facility that would ease loading of the crude into a ship.

Parliament is also yet to pass the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Bill. The Bill has in the past been cited as critical legislation and when enacted would offer a legal framework for the oil export pilot project.

It was, in fact, the reason why the project did not commence in June last year.

The Government however appears keen to push through with the project, the challenges notwithstanding.

Despite the deplorable condition of Kitale-Lokichar road, government officials maintain that it is motorable.

The Kainuk Bridge is currently impassable after it collapsed, forcing the Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) to put a barrier blocking heavy trucks from passing through it.

Trucks have been diverted to cross the river at a temporary drift a few metres from the bridge and since the heavy rains began, hundreds of trucks have been forced to wait for water to subside, which has varied from a few hours to weeks.

Kenha says there have been maintenance works undertaken to keep the road in shape, while it is negotiating with international lenders for financing to undertake construction.

“Three contractors have been undertaking maintenance works between Lesseru (near Eldoret) and Lokichar. They have rehabilitated the road and it is extremely passable… it is in good condition. The trucks should be able to go with ease. People go through the road every day,” says Charles Njogu, Kenha assistant director of communications.

He says the heavy rains were a source of pain only for a few hours and vehicles are able to cross using a drift set up as a stop gap measure as the highways authority builds the Kainuk Bridge anew.

“There is a lot of water due to heavy rains but the bridge is passable. The only challenge is that people have to wait for a few hours as the water levels to go down,” says Njogu.

“We have a contractor on site who is already mobilising equipment to redo the bridge such that it can withstand adverse conditions like heavy rains. We will expand the drift before the construction is done.”

The bridge will however take a year to redesign and construct. Kenha is in the meantime strengthening the drift.

“We are repairing the drift which can be used when there is no flooding,” said Kenha Engineer David Njenga, who expressed confidence that the heavy tanktainers, which will be transporting thousands of barrels of oil, will pass the bridge without any problem.

The Transport Ministry says it is fast tracking tarmacking of Kitale-Lokichar road to ease transportation of crude oil to the Mombasa refinery.

Cabinet Secretary James Macharia says the 297km section will be tarmacked in two years. About 36 trucks ferrying crude oil will leave Lokichar daily.

“Transportation of crude oil to the refinery will proceed as scheduled as the drift will be used awaiting construction of the bridge,” Macharia said in Murang’a on Saturday.

Some Turkana County government officials are however not amused by how much the contractors doing maintenance works on the road have been doing.

“Let’s just admit that the road construction at Marich-Lokichar-Lodwar-Amosing section is a poor piece of engineering planning and safety.

“The government, KURA (Kenya Urban Roads Authority) and Kenha must punish road contractors for poor workmanship, quality and materials that wear out easily,” says Jennipher Nawoi, the county Tourism executive.

Nawoi says the road is in a bad state barely months after some repair works were done.

Storage facility

And for months now, Turkana County has continued to lose revenue due to the impassable Kainuk Bridge.

“The county government used to collect approximately Sh100,000 daily from the trucks at the Kainuk barrier.

“Since the trucks are stuck on the other side of the bridge and not crossing the cess points, we could have lost as much as Sh3 million in the last one month,” says James Lokwale, the county Trade executive.

Three trucks have already been swept away by flash floods and are fast corroding in the unforgiving waters.

“It is unfortunate that the bridge, the only link Turkana County has with the rest of the country, has not been given attention by the National Government.

“How will the government transport oil through this road? Will they teleport?” asks James Ambani, a resident.

When the first convoy of trucks leaves Lokichar tomorrow, it will take them more than 18 hours of continuous driving to cover about 1,000km to Mombasa.

The oil will then be delivered to Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited, which is currently being leased and managed by KPC as a storage facility.

The pipeline company says it is concluding sprucing up storage facilities at the refinery as it readies to start receiving and storing the crude oil from Turkana.

The KPC, which entered in to a three-year agreement to lease the refinery facilities, says it will have tanks with a capacity of 270 million litres ready to store the crude oil for export.

The Changamwe-based refinery ceased refining crude oil in 2013 and was converted into a storage facility for imported refined petroleum products. It will now store crude oil meant for export.

“Repairs on one tank with a capacity of 90 million litres has been completed. We are working on two other tanks, each with a similar capacity and expect to be done in the next two months. This will bring the total capacity that we have for crude oil from Turkana to 270 million litres,” says KPC Managing Director Joe Sang.

[Additional reporting by Boniface Gikandi]  

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