Turkana: There is renewed hope in Turkana County and among professionals in the oil and gas industry after Gulf Energy E and P announced 61 job positions to fill 39 job categories. The company advertised the positions this month, even as Kenya gears up for its first commercial oil production in South Lokichar Basin.
According to Kenya News Agency, the government aims to export the first consignment of crude oil by December 1, 2026. Among the jobs advertised on the company’s website are technical positions such as Senior Drilling Engineer, Production Engineer, Operations Superintendent, and Environmental Advisor. In the support section, there are vacancies in human resources, finance, logistics, communications, and field security advisor.
Field-based positions in Turkana County include production operators, dispatchers, and stakeholder engagement officers. Others to be recruited include graduate trainees in electrical/mechanical/process engineering, geology, reservoir, and petrophysics. Most roles are in Turkana County, totaling 19; some are for Nairobi (18), with two in Mombasa.
Applicants have until June 26, 2026, 5:00 pm EAT, to submit their applications via Gulf Energy’s official careers portal. The jobs are coming back after Tullow Oil’s exit, which left many people, especially youth, jobless. Turkana South MP Dr. Namoit Ariko and his Turkana East counterpart Nicholas Ng’ikor say the county residents have the requisite skills for the jobs.
Dr. Ariko stated, ‘Dozens of Turkana’s sons and daughters are now petroleum and engineering graduates.’ This recruitment is a key step towards turning years of exploration into actual production and paychecks.’ Among others who also encouraged interested persons to apply was Engineer Fredrick Ejore. He said, ‘As an engineer in the oil and gas sector, I am genuinely excited and proud to see Gulf Energy opening doors to our professionals across all disciplines within and outside Turkana County.’
Gulf Energy says preference will be given to Kenyan citizens and they are encouraging qualified candidates from Turkana and host communities to apply. The Field Development Plan has a ‘ring-fenced Local Content Strategy,’ aimed at jobs for Turkana County residents.
Speaking during the historic groundbreaking ceremony marking the commencement of oil field development operations at South Lokichar Basin in April, Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum Opiyo Wandayi said the residents, the county administration and the national government will work alongside Gulf Energy to ensure the success of the project. The groundbreaking milestone paved the way for Gulf Energy to kickstart full-scale operations, including deployment of rigs, prospecting, and drilling of new boreholes.
‘It has taken a long time for the production of oil; we must thank the president for ensuring the oil resource is going to become a reality and benefit the country,’ said Wandayi. The CS said the government had started a security operation to arrest insecurity, which has been cited as a major challenge facing the project.
On its part, the County Government has begun talks with Gulf Energy on fiscal terms for planned oil and gas exploration in the South Lokichar basin. Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus and Gulf Energy Country Manager Franklin Juma held a meeting in April 2026 that discussed taxes, budgets, revenue, and financing as guided by legal instruments, including finance acts and the Field Development Plan (FDP).
Dr. Erus called for open and honest dialogue to ensure the county benefits from oil extracted within its borders. ‘The county has already formed a special committee to identify all possible revenue streams from the exercise and advise accordingly. Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai has directed that this committee interrogate all proposals relating to shareable revenue,’ he said. He added that the County Government’s proposals will be guided by law, with the Office of the County Attorney providing legal direction at all times.
‘Most of these discussions cover the imposition or variation of fees and charges on land surface, services rendered by the county, environment and natural resources utilized, energy, waste generation and disposal, among others. Our position on each proposal will be based on what the law provides and how best revenue potential can be harnessed,’ Dr. Erus said.
British oil explorer Tullow Oil officially left Kenya in 2025 after selling all its local operations to Gulf Energy in a deal worth at least USD 120 million (about Sh 16 billion). The exit was attributed to infrastructure, regulatory, and financing challenges.
