Gideon Moi roots for more resources to counties

The Senate plans to introduce legislation to ensure counties benefit from geothermal and other forms of energy harvested from their regions.

Gideon Moi, the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Transportation, said Kenyans should benefit individually and collectively from the natural resources.

“We cannot leave such a matter to the goodwill and the words of leaders but put it in legislation so that Kenyans, especially those in the counties, benefit before anyone else,” said the Baringo Senator.

Mr Moi (pictured) was speaking during the commissioning of the biggest geothermal power plant in Africa by President Uhuru Kenyatta in Naivasha on Saturday.

The senator hailed the commissioning of the project that has seen the addition of 140 megawatts of clean power to the national grid, saying it will go a long way in stemming the rising cost of living linked to the high electricity prices. He challenged President Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto to ensure villagers benefit from such projects before electricity is distributed to urban areas.

“Electricity is not only needed in Nairobi and Mombasa. Locals too need that power to transform their lives,” he said. The President said counties will benefit from such projects as they were designed in such a way that locals are given the first priority.

“Here in Olkaria, we have built homes for communities and we have created industrial parks within the power generation areas where investors can put up their industries,” he said. President Kenyatta revealed that five industrial parks have been established in the area in a bid to minimise wastage and costs incurred during the transmission of power. “The industrial parks will ensure cheap power in terms of reducing the transportation cost,” he said. Nakuru County has two major geothermal power production sites in Olkaria and Menengai. Exploration work for geothermal energy is also taking place in Baringo County, where the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) has a number of projects.

Kenya is ranked first in Africa and seventh in the world in terms of clean energy production. The Ministry of Energy is targeting to generate about 5,000 megawatts from the geothermal wells in Olkaria by 2017.
Naivasha Town MP John Kihagi thanked the government for resettling families who were moved from the exploration site. “The families now have access to modern houses that are connected with electricity. They also have schools and dispensaries,” he said.


 

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Baringo Gideon Moi