NAIROBI, KENYA: Lord Clive Hollick, the UK’s Trade envoy to Kenya and Tanzania, will be visiting Kenya from 17-19 February, 2016, to discuss the key elements of UK-Kenya trade and to explore the growing spectrum of trade and investment opportunities for the UK in Kenya’s renewable energy sector.  

The UK is a leading export market for Kenya, and is at the forefront of key industries including horticulture, hydrocarbon development, finance and telecoms. Tourism and agriculture are Kenya’s top two earning sectors, making the UK a major contributor to the Kenyan economy. UK companies are also leading the way in the oil and gas sector, in partnership with the Government of Kenya. 

Lord Hollick’s visit comes at a time when the Government of Kenya has set ambitious targets to boost its energy mix and increase output to 500MW, as part of the Energy Pillar in Vision 2030, to help guarantee the reliable, affordable power necessary to underpin sustainable development. 

Lord Hollick will be visiting Turkana County from 17-18 February accompanied by the British High Commissioner to Kenya, Mr. Nic Hailey and a delegation from the British High Commission. The delegation will explore potential solar hybridizing sites that are marked for development by Tropical Power, a British clean energy development company. He will also visit Tullow Oil’s Lokichar Basin drilling sites and meet with various supply chain companies that are stimulating social development in the sites. 

As part of his visit to Turkana, Lord Hollick will meet with the Governor for Turkana, Hon. Josphat Nanok, and other County government officials to discuss potential investment opportunities in the County. He will also officially open the new Turkana offices of the Kenya Market Trust (KMT). The UK, through the Department for International Development (DFID), has funded KMT with £24m (Ksh 3.5bn) from 2012-15 to improve market access for the poor. In Turkana, KMT is working to ensure increased income to pastoralists from the sale of livestock and livestock products. 

Lord Hollick will also hold meetings with various government ministries and parastatals: the Office of the President, Energy and Petroleum, National Treasury, Geothermal Development Company (GDC) and Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen). Central to his discussions with National government will be UK Export Finance (UKEF) which has set aside up to £500m (Ksh 74bn) to support trade with Kenya.