May 21, 2026
British energy giant BP is facing a lawsuit over allegations that improper toxic waste disposal in two remote villages in northeastern Kenya killed thousands of livestock and caused cancer among hundreds of locals.
In a petition filed by hundreds of locals, BP is accused of dumping toxins that contaminated groundwater in Kargi and Kalacha villages in Marsabit County, one of Kenya’s poorest regions.
While BP did not carry out the 1984-1990 oil exploration mission alleged to have left locals suffering from dumped hazardous waste decades on, it bought the US oil firm Amoco that did so in 1998.
On Thursday, the petitioners’ lawyer formally submitted documents in court to the British company through the foreign affairs ministry, after BP disputed on procedural grounds.
