Kenya Cancer Cluster: BP and Kenyan Government Sued Over 'Environmental Genocide'

The Alleged Environmental Genocide

A group of 298 petitioners from remote villages of Marsabit County in northern Kenya is suing BP and the Kenyan government over oil exploration waste from the 1980s that it says is causing a cancer cluster that has killed hundreds.

The Cancer Cluster in Kargi

Residents and local health workers say cancer cases and deaths have risen steadily, with more than 500 people reported dead from cancers affecting the digestive system, particularly the oesophagus and stomach. Many were from villages where access to medical care remains limited.

The Impact of Oil Exploration Waste

They believe rising cancer cases are linked to toxic waste left behind during oil exploration in the 1980s. Between 1986 and 1989, the US oil company Amoco, later acquired by BP, drilled exploration wells around the Chalbi Desert in search of oil. Foreign crews worked the area, found no viable deposits, and left. Residents say the company left more behind than empty wells.

Mounting Evidence of Contamination

Independent tests carried out since have pointed to possible contamination of local water sources, including the presence of heavy metals. Scientists have not yet established a definitive causal link between the contamination and the cancers, in part because long-term research has been thin.

Legal Recourse for the Affected Communities

The petitioners have sued BP and the Kenyan government, accusing both of failing to prevent or address environmental harm. They are seeking a full environmental assessment, access to safe water, and compensation for affected families and livestock losses. 'This is environmental genocide,' says Kelvin Kubai, the lawyer representing them.