State turns to underground electric cable to curb compensation issues

NAIROBI, KENYA: The government has turned to underground electric cables in a move to curb compensation issues involved with erecting electric equipment.

Speaking during an interview, Energy Principal Secretary Dr Joseph Njoroge admitted that compensation issues had dogged major energy projects, eventually slowing them down.

“The greatest challenge we have is high expectation by communities where projects are located.  Compensation has for example slowed down the Kenya Ethiopia power line which should have started way earlier,” he said.

And in a move to reduce such issues, a statement has been released by Kenya Power indicating they will be implementing a Sh.13 billion underground power network project to improve the quality of electricity supply.

“The underground cabling technology is more aesthetic compared to overhead lines and less expensive in terms of land acquisition challenges,” reads the statement.

In the interview, Dr. Njoroge indicated that the underground cables would target major towns. He also asked locals to appreciate the benefits such projects would bring.

“Let us look at the good. Don’t focus on compensation for a project that is supposed to benefit the public,” said Dr. Njoroge.

The underground connection project begins in Nairobi with 30.71 kilometers of 66kV transmission lines.