65 Herman Brouwer, Wim Hiemstra and Pilly Martin
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Degree of influence
Figure 1: Interest–influence matrix, Lamu
1. High interest + influence:
Government agencies;
line ministries; states and
international investors;
key politicians and
decision makers
2. Low interest + high influence
3. High interest + low influence
National civil society;
international organisations;
community leaders
4. Low interest + low influence
Level of interest
The power of pro-LAPSSET stakeholders exceeds considerably the power of the community actors.
Source: Goldsmith (2012).
Stakeholders were divided into six categories and graded according to interest and
influence: high or low (Figure 1). Because
all the stakeholders named are by definition
already highly interested parties, the grading used only the influence axis.
Stakeholders were categorised as being
either high influence or low influence.
Power analysis: using the power house tool
The power cube was discussed with
members of the Save Lamu management
committee, and representatives from the
two BCP teams. The representatives
included hunter-gatherers, pastoralists,
farmers and fisherfolk, covering a wide
range of interests. Pilly (one of the coauthors of this article), who is from Tana
River, an area neighbouring Lamu, was the
main facilitator. The dimensions of the
power cube were written in English and
Pilly translated the concepts into Kiswahili.
We first introduced the concept of
power and its different dimensions: forms,
spaces and levels of power (Figure 1).
• Power forms refer to visible, hidden and
internalised forms of power.
• Power spaces refer to potential arenas for
participation and action – closed, invited or
claimed.
• Power levels (local, national, global) refer
to different layers of decision-making and
authority.
To facilitate understanding, the power
cube became a power house, using analogies of Islamic architecture in Lamu. People
were asked how they would fit themselves
and other groups involved in the LAPSSET
project into the power house. This led to a
very animated discussion. For example, in
Figure 1:
• The door represents the visible economic
power of the communities at local and
national levels, and is a powerful symbol of
Lamu culture.8
• The window represents formal/closed
power, crossing the local and national
levels, e.g. the GoK Vision 2030, which
communities are unable to participate in.
• An example of internalised power is the
BCP which communities have been developing. It is internalised because it reflects
8 Lamu doors are very ornate and unusual, and part of the Swahili architectural style. The
door symbolises both Lamu culture and their economic power, because the doors are
exported. They are made from mangrove trees, which grow in saline water. However, the
mangroves, from which the doors are made, and which are also integral to marine-based
livelihoods like wood trading and fishing, are threatened by the port.