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{
    "id": 822594,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/822594/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 145,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "This Bill also establishes the Energy and Petroleum Tribunal. This is the body whose responsibility will be to determine disputes and appeals in accordance with the Act and this is important. The first point of reference for an aggrieved member of the public on matters of energy will be to go to the regulatory authority and complain; for example if they are billed a lot of money, if there is a lot of wastage of public resources, if there are fake contracts or if contracts have been inflated for purposes of enriching certain individuals. If you have a complaint about, for example, how you have been billed and you feel that the regulatory authority did not address the issue, the next stage will be to go to the tribunal. I guess this will be one of the busiest tribunals because of the issues that are so dear to Kenyans on matters of energy. That shows how important energy is in this country and that is why the chairperson of the tribunal must be a person who is qualified to be a judge of the High Court. That means that it must be a person who has been an advocate of the Republic of Kenya for more than 10 years. The tribunal will also have other members. As I said, the work of the tribunal will be to deal with complaints and appeals that went to the agency. Madam Temporary Speaker, I would also like to talk about the issue of renewable energy. This Bill also provides for Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation. That is a combination of both the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) that we have at the moment under the Energy Act and the renewable energy sector. Again, this is an entity that is established under the law. Its function will be, among others, to manage matters of rural electrification programme with a Fund that has been established under this Bill; develop and update rural electrification master plans in consultation with county governments; support the establishment of energy centres in counties; establish framework for collaboration with county governments in the discharge of its mandate; undertake on-farm and on-station demonstration of wood-fuel species, seedling production and management; and undertake feasibility studies and maintain data with a view to availing the same to developers of renewable energy resources. We are opening up the energy sector to private investment. Therefore, it is important that there are certain standards that can be applied by those who want to invest. We should give them data and information on the possible areas of investment. For example, a research can be done in Kerio Valley or Elgeyo-Marakwet County to determine the amount of solar energy that can be tapped. With that information, an investor will tell if they will have a return on their investment if they invest there. The Bill also provides for standards of dealing with bi-ethanol, charcoal, fuel, biogas, municipal waste and solar. When people see that there is too much waste in Nairobi, an investor sees energy because you can turn waste into energy. I am glad that Nairobi City County Government is working on a programme with investors on a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) to invest in energy and at the same time recycle and deal with waste that has become a big problem in Nairobi. The REA also has the responsibility of coordinating research on development and dissemination of appropriate renewable energy technologies and providing an enabling environment for efficient and sustainable production and conversion of energy. 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."
}