Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 139269,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/139269/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 303,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "agenda will be made for harnessing, at least, 5,000 megawatts of new geothermal, wind and coal generation capacity including hydro-power imports by the year 2020. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on rural electrification, we are facing quite a number of challenges. But despite the challenges, we are still committed to connecting an additional one million Kenyans to electricity in five years from the year 2008 to 2012. I am very happy to report that since the establishment of the Rural Electrification Authority by the Government under the Energy Act 2006, the pace of rural electrification in this country has dramatically improved. We are in each year connecting more than 200,000 new customers through efforts of the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) and the Rural Electrification Authority. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the petroleum subsector is also facing numerous challenges which include limited imports handling and storage facilities for petroleum fuels, inadequate storage facilities for products in Mombasa and Nairobi, lack of imports handling facilities for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), inability of the Kenya Petroleum Refineries to process crude oil to match both product quality and demand requirements, which makes it impossible to compete with imported white products. This country also does not have strategic petroleum stocks to cushion the country against supply chain disruptions, particularly due to external factors such as delays caused by the pirates off the Somali Coast. Mr. Speaker, Sir, to address these challenges, the following measures are being undertaken. We have been undertaking enhancements of pumping capacity of the Mombasa-Nairobi Oil Pipeline. We are also constructing a 14-inch new parallel line from Nairobi to Eldoret. We are also seeking a strategic partner who will be very soon brought on board to assist in the refinery upgrade project through which we intend to modernize our refinery. We are also seeking adequate capitalization of the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) over the next four years to enable the company to expand its retail network with a view to making it a market leader in setting consumer prices within the petroleum industry. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are also constructing an LPG import handling and storage facility at Miritini in Mombasa and we expect this to be completed by December, 2010. The final solution to the world swings in petroleum product prices will be in discovering our own oil and gas. The current global financial crisis has affected oil exploration activities in Kenya as many companies that were granted licences through production sharing contracts have requested for time extensions to enable them to restructure their financing arrangements. Despite these challenges, the Ministry of Energy will continue to market our oil exploration blocks and with our search for oil and gas. By the end of this year, we expect to drill another well in Block No.9 in Isiolo to determine whether there are any hydro-carbon deposits in that area. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I have said, Kenya’s geothermal potential is estimated at about 7,000 megawatts. This remains virtually untapped. Only 165 megawatts have been exploited for electricity generation in the Olkaria fields. Regarding geothermal energy, the development has been slow because geothermal has very high front head exploration costs. The principal challenge which we are experiencing in that area is lack of adequate funding. To spearhead geothermal development, my Ministry has established a geothermal development company which started in January, 2009. This company will be"
}