08 Feb 2013
The Beginning
It began with a simple truth: Lake Turkana was in danger, and silence would mean surrender. Supported by friends, family, and a determined community, Ikal stepped forward to defend a lake whose destruction was imminent. The Gibe III Dam and upstream developments threatened to drain its waters, erase livelihoods, and shatter a heritage woven over generations. Together with community members, we challenged the logic of financiers willing to gamble with the lives of half a million Indigenous people in Kenya and Ethiopia. Our persistence paid off. The European Investment Bank, the African Development Bank, and the World Bank all withdrew after recognizing the magnitude of the threat.
08 Feb 2013
New Financing: The Chinese
But even as some financiers stepped away, others stepped in, willing to look past the human cost. In 2010, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China approved a loan for the dam, injecting fresh momentum into a harmful project. Two years later, the China Development Bank signed an agreement to fund sugar factories in the Lower Omo Valley, projects that would extract even more water from an already strained ecosystem. These decisions ignored the environmental warnings and community concerns that had convinced other backers to withdraw. They marked a turning point in the struggle, proving that the fight to protect Lake Turkana was far from over. It also renewed our determination to push back against destructive development masked as progress.
08 Feb 2013
Community Petition to Parliament
In response, the community rose with a unified voice, refusing to be sidelined in decisions about their own survival. FoLT joined forces with global allies—including Survival International, International Rivers, Counter Balance, and hundreds of other groups—to launch a worldwide petition. More than 400 organizations signed on, amplifying a call that began on the shores of the lake but echoed across continents. This petition challenged the legitimacy of the Gibe III Dam and demanded accountability for the irreversible damage it threatened. It became a symbol of global solidarity and a reminder that communities on the margins are never alone when they choose to stand. It marked one of the largest environmental justice mobilizations in East African history.
08 Feb 2013
The Court Case
The fight soon moved from the streets to the courtroom, where we challenged Kenya’s plan to purchase power generated by the Gibe III Dam. This agreement, made without consulting the people most affected, stripped the Lake Turkana community of their constitutional rights to life, dignity, and meaningful participation. By filing the case, we asserted that development cannot be pursued at the expense of human rights and environmental justice. We demanded transparency from a government that had withheld critical information about the project’s risks. The court challenge became a powerful declaration that the community would not be ignored. It strengthened the legal foundation of our movement and exposed the gaps in government accountability.
08 Feb 2013
The Ruling
The court’s decision was a bittersweet victory, affirming the community’s rights while acknowledging its own limits. Although it could not halt Kenya’s power agreements with Ethiopia, it declared that the government had violated the community’s right to information. This ruling forced the state to acknowledge its duty to disclose all relevant documents and ensure no environmental harm resulted from cross-border projects. It established that transparency is not optional—it is a constitutional obligation. Following the ruling, FoLT intensified its efforts to demand open disclosure of contracts, impact assessments, and agreements affecting the Basin. It was a turning point that strengthened the community’s legal standing and reinforced the need for continued vigilance.
08 Feb 2013
Gibe IV and V
Despite earlier warnings, the consequences of Gibe III soon became impossible to ignore. Since its filling in 2016, Lake Turkana’s water levels have dropped by roughly 1.5 meters, draining the lifeline of communities and wildlife. Now Ethiopia plans to construct Gibe IV and Gibe V, two additional dams that could further starve the lake of its essential inflow. Officials claim these new dams will not harm surrounding communities, yet no independent studies have been carried out to assess the cumulative impacts. We continue to call for impartial Environmental and Social Impact Assessments to expose the full picture. Without such scrutiny, the risks to Lake Turkana’s fragile ecosystem remain dangerously high. Our advocacy has become more urgent than ever.
08 Feb 2013
Irrigations
Alongside the dams, sprawling sugar and cotton plantations have tightened their grip on the Omo Basin under the guise of development. These schemes have been linked to forced evictions, human rights abuses, and severe ecological damage. The plantations siphon massive amounts of water from the Omo River, accelerating the lake’s decline and altering its delicate chemistry. Rising salinity and pollution now threaten fish stocks, grazing lands, and the safety of drinking water for thousands. These impacts reach far beyond Ethiopia, endangering communities throughout the Omo–Turkana Basin. Without decisive intervention, livelihoods, culture, and identity could be lost in a single generation. The costs of this so-called development are far too high.
08 Feb 2013
Present-Day Struggle
Today, the struggle continues with renewed resolve and sharper clarity. We fight to stop new destructive projects, monitor the filling of existing dams, and push both governments to adopt meaningful safeguards. We continue to engage global bodies, urging UNESCO to maintain Lake Turkana’s endangered status until real, enforceable mitigation measures are implemented. Our advocacy now stretches across policy, community mobilization, and international diplomacy. In every arena, our vision remains the same: secure territories, empowered communities, and sustainable resource governance across the Greater Turkana Basin. The challenges are immense, but our commitment is unwavering—and our fight is far from over.