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"content": "something like that. In this area, we chose geothermal so as to reduce on the costs of energy. However, in the meantime, things are happening in the sale of energy which is absolutely atrocious. First, we know the pain that this country went through when the independent power producers were introduced to this country. We know the rent seekers who introduced their independent power producers. When I was doing planning and national development, we had all these facts. These independent power producers here were a purely a rent seeking initiative. This country paid an atrocious amount of money to get the independent power producers here. The terms of making them operate in this country were at a tremendous cost to the Kenyan consumer. The Government, obviously, did something which was definitely not commendable at all. However, that is water under the bridge. The next thing to do is: How do we deal with independent power producers? How do we phase them out? The Report points our clearly that the best way to phase out independent power producers is to invest in the cheapest production of energy known today and that is geothermal. Geothermal is much cheaper than solar. Although we have a competitive advantage globally because we are at the Equator, we have fantastic sites for solar production. Some have been mentioned. My own home lies on a grid where solar production is done. Now we have two sources, therefore, to rely on if we are going to phase out independent power producers and produce much cheaper and cleaner electricity with more benefits than before. That is solar and geothermal. In the meantime, while we must press the Government to do its counterpart investment, so that this is speeded up, something must be done with the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC). Those of you who pay your electricity bills – I do not know how many do, but I do – know that if you look at the bill, more than 50 per cent of that bill is not really paying for the energy. It is paying for all kinds of so-called taxes, which I do not know whether they have ever been passed by Parliament. There is fuel adjustment and so on. You cannot know where these taxes came from. But if you trace the teleology of these taxes, you will find that they end up with the independent power producers. This shows the kind of corruption that exists. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are now forced as consumers to pay a loan that was completely unfair. So, I think that it is the business of the Committee on Energy, Roads and Transportation to really call the KPLC, and if possible, call us as witnesses or people to give evidence, with our bills, so that the KPLC can explain to us, one, who gave them the authority to levy these taxes and when. If you look at the HANSARD of Parliament, there is nowhere in the history of the Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth or Tenth Parliament where I remember these things being discussed, to give the KPLC the power to levy such taxes. If they did, then let us ask the Treasury how it maneuvered through Parliament to get these kinds of taxes, because Kenyans are suffering. I think that this is the more reason the Committee should meet the KPLC and all the people involved, to help Kenyans really get out of these tremendous energy costs in our country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the fourth thing that I wanted to bring out as a result of this Report is the mode of investment of the geothermal industry. If there is only one mode of The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}