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"id": 233901,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Angwenyi",
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"speaker": {
"id": 326,
"legal_name": "Jimmy Nuru Ondieki Angwenyi",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me a chance to contribute to this very important Bill. Right from the outset, I would like to thank the Minister for Energy and his staff who have been working tirelessly to provide energy to the people of Kenya. I also want to thank them for coming up with this Bill which, I believe, will address a number of issues that have made it difficult for Kenyans to access electricity in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, energy is the heart of any economy. If 60 per cent to 70 per cent of Kenya could access electricity, this country would develop much faster. Maybe, those who doubt that it is actually developing, would be able to see it developing. But energy in Kenya is inaccessible and unaffordable to many people. Those are the two issues that are being addressed by this Bill. Energy is inaccessible because we, as a nation, have not invested in developing the sources of energy. For example, we do have geothermal energy in this country. If we were to invest in it, it would produce approximately 3,000 megawatts. That is three times the energy needs of this country. With this kind of supply, we would be able to export about 2,000 megawatts and hence, earn foreign exchange for the next ten to 15 years. We will be able to supply Tanzania and Uganda with electricity. But we have not invested in this. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we do have large quantities of coal in Mwingi and Kitui districts. I am told that it is enough to produce 800 megawatts per year. A month ago, the Committee on Energy, Communications and Public Works was in Germany. It also visited South Africa in September. We found out that the energy the moves the economies of Germany and South Africa is basically coal. If we were to exploit those resources in Mwingi and Kitui districts, maybe, their residents would be relieved of seeking relief food every year. Their dignity would be improved and the economy of this country would grow. We do have enough renewable energy in this country, for example, solar energy. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in Germany, about 9 per cent of the energy is supplied 3806 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 21, 2006 through solar. That is more than 5,000 megawatts. But Germany receives sunshine, at most, five months in a year. Kenya, on the other hand, receives sunshine 12 months in a year, yet, we produce only about ten megawatts from solar energy. If we invested in solar energy adequately, all the factories and schools would be supplied with electricity. When we were discussing this Bill in Mombasa, the Permanent Secretary told us that they have started with an experiment in Ukambani where they are now supplying electricity to secondary schools from solar energy. I wish this Parliament would influence the Minister for Finance to allocate adequate resources for the development of this type of energy. Two years ago, my Committee also went to Australia. We discovered that they produce more than 2,000 megawatts from wind energy. They told us that the Global Wind Bar goes through Kenya, that is, Marsabit, Lamu and the high seas. They also told us that the wind that blows in Kenya is closer to the high seas than that in Australia. We have people here who have got the capacity to develop that resource if we could invest in it. So, I urge this House to demand that more money be invested in energy, because that is the heart of this country. We could even produce energy from our cattle dung. There are pastoralists who own large herds of cattle. We can produce biomass energy from our cattle. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, sometime back there was an experiment done in Kisii. This involved collection of cattle dung to produce energy. In Sydney, Australia, they produce electricity from sewage. A treatment plant of sewage produces electricity which is supplied to a substantial portion of the City of Sydney. The City of Sydney is as big as the City of Nairobi. As you know we eat ugali and green vegetables---"
}