President Uhuru Kenyatta (pictured) will launch Lake Turkana Wind Power plant that is expected to generate 310MW.

This comes barely three weeks after Government plans to set up a coal plant in Lamu met another hurdle following a court ruling.

State House spokesperson Kanze Dena confirmed that Uhuru would launch the project to add more energy to the national grid.

“It is the biggest wind power in Africa that will generate 310MW at a low cost,” Ms Kanze told a Press briefing.

She added: “It is part of the plan by the President to hit 100 per cent of clean energy by next year.”

Asked whether government planned to abandon the Lamu coal plant, Dena said consultations on the matter are ongoing.

Illegally issued

The National Environment Tribunal, on June 26, suspended the Sh200 billion project saying the environmental impact assessment certificate had been illegally issued by the National Environment Management Authority.

The court found that there was lack of public participation in the 1,050 Megawatts Chinese-backed project that was to be located near UNESCO World Heritage Site in Lamu.

The tribunal said if Amu Power Plant, which had been licensed, wished to proceed with the project, fresh environmental impact assessment had to be conducted.

Environmentalists had opposed the project that was set to start in 2015 claiming it would cause air pollution, destroy mangroves and damage breeding grounds for turtles, fish and other marine lives.

The court ruling was a blow to the Government considering the energy the plant was expected to produce. Four days before the tribunal ruling, the Government had commented on the project, dismissing claims that it was a risk to the environment and human health.

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