Sh1.2 billion export deal welcome but do more to avoid the oil curse

The government announced on Thursday that it would finally be exporting the first batch of crude oil produced from Turkana County. This is a bold step in moving forward the nascent sector, which is expected to lead to commercial oil production by 2022.

While it is worth celebrating, a lot remains to be done. As the country implements the Early Oil Pilot Scheme and takes up lessons while identifying possible minefields along the road to being an oil producer, it is perhaps time Kenya considered setting up structures on how proceeds earned from oil will be utilised.