By Anchor Writers
Residents of Itimboni village are accusing project proponents of staging a questionable public participation exercise after a meeting officially cancelled by local administration was nevertheless conducted under heavy police presence.
Information obtained by The Anchor indicates that the meeting had been called off the previous evening. In a WhatsApp message circulated to residents, the area chief announced that the planned forum had been postponed.“Good evening members, this is to inform you that tomorrow’s meeting has been postponed till further notice,” read the message shared with residents.
However, by mid-morning the following day, the meeting was reportedly underway at Itimboni, presided over by individuals linked to the proposed cement plant project.
Residents who monitored the proceedings say the meeting went on without any visible representation from either the national government or the county government, raising serious questions about its legitimacy.
Observers told The Anchor that police officers were deployed to the venue, keeping watch as the proceedings continued.
More controversially, locals claim that the overwhelming majority of attendees were not residents of Itimboni.“About ninety percent of the people present were strangers to the village,” one observer said. “Even the person acting as the spokesperson for the meeting is not from Itimboni.”
According Paul Muindu, a village elder, the participants were transported to the venue in buses. They were reportedly provided with soda and bread during the meeting and given facilitation for transport.
Despite the objections previously raised by local residents, the gathering proceeded to take a vote in favor of constructing the cement factory on the disputed site.“The proponents themselves presided over the meeting with strangers attending, and then they voted to approve the factory on the same land residents had objected to,” the observer added.
The controversial meeting is the latest development in a long-running dispute between Itimboni residents and developers seeking to establish a cement plant in the area.
For months, residents have raised environmental, health, and land-use concerns about the proposed project. Community members argue that the plant would threaten their farms, water sources, and the broader ecosystem around their settlement.
Local activists have also questioned the transparency of the approval process, insisting that genuine community consultation has not taken place.
Public participation is a constitutional requirement in Kenya for projects with significant environmental or social impact. Under Kenyan law, such consultations are meant to ensure that affected communities are properly informed and allowed to express their views before approvals are granted.
Residents now argue that the meeting held on Friday failed that basic test.The absence of government officials has intensified the controversy surrounding the meeting.Normally, public participation exercises involving large infrastructure projects are overseen or facilitated by representatives from relevant government agencies, such as county officials, environmental regulators, or national administration officers.In this case, witnesses say none were visibly present.“The meeting was controlled entirely by the project proponents,” a resident said. “If government was not there, and the local people were not the majority, how can that be called public participation?”
Police presence at the meeting has also raised eyebrows among locals who felt the security deployment may have discouraged open dissent.
Residents say they are now considering escalating the matter to authorities and regulatory agencies, arguing that the process that took place cannot legally substitute for genuine community consultation.
Community leaders maintain that their opposition to the cement plant remains unchanged.“The people of Itimboni have already spoken,” one resident said. “Bringing strangers to vote for a project that will affect our land and our lives cannot erase that.”The developers behind the proposed cement plant had not responded to questions by The Anchor by the time of publication.
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