State oil firm sparks hope of gas find in Kajiado farm

A drilled borehole producing gas in Kisaju, Kajiado County. A water official discovered methane gas while drilling a borehole. [David Njaaga, Standard]

On October 5, 2017, something strange happened at Kipeto in Kajiado County that hit national and international headlines. A flammable emission was accidentally found in the area by a borehole drilling company, something Governor Joseph Ole Lenku termed as the “hand of God.”

Joseph Malonye had contracted hydrologists to drill a borehole that was expected to boost his farming activities. However, 200 metres into the ground, the hydrologists came across a 'reservoir' of what they said was an odourless gas, and upon throwing a lit match at it, the gas caught fire, leading to the 'pedestrian' conclusion that this was natural gas.