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{
    "id": 1472274,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1472274/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 396,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13599,
        "legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
        "slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
    },
    "content": "Some people think that these discussions that happen in the Senate or in our committees are idle talk. I am happy to assure Members of this House that I can already see movement in terms of implementation of these recommendations. I must thank all the stakeholders; the Ministry of Energy, the KP and all the other stakeholders for trying to put in place some of our recommendations. I will give an example of just three of them for the benefit of the House. One of the proposals we have made and is in the amendment Bill, is prioritization during the dispatch of power based on merit order, giving preference to the cheaper power producers. I saw a report in the newspaper just a few weeks ago that there was an increase of 88 per cent of the uptake of power that we import from Ethiopia. It is one of the cheaper sources of power at Kshs8 per kilowatt hour (KWh), but a bit more expensive than the Kshs5 KenGen charges. There was an increase of 88 per cent for the six months to June of this year compared to a similar period last year. The recommendation appears on page 56 of the committee report, paragraph No.219. Secondly, there has been a policy shift that KenGen is now moving to put in place power storage facilities. These are batteries to be used in order to ensure that the intermittent sources of energy from solar and wind farms that may not be available throughout the day and night, can continue to be useful to the grid even when the sun is not shining or the wind not blowing. Lastly, there is a recommendation at paragraph 210 of the report of the Senate Energy Committee that the Ministry of Energy, in consultation with all thermal power plants, should institute a mechanism for purchase of heavy fuel oil in bulk within 90 days of adoption of this report. I am happy to report that this is being done. I want to assure Members of this House and members of the public that what we do in our committee is not idle talk. In fact, with the coming into force of this law, there should be a move towards cheaper electricity in the country. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply and request that the putting of the question be deferred to a later date pursuant to Standing Order No.66(3). I thank you."
}