A WOMAN CLEANS BASINS IN THE HYACINTH-CHOKED WATERS OF LAKE VICTORIA IN HOMA BAY COUNTY. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NMG
A British company has said it is putting finishing touches to a $250 million (around Sh26 billion) biogas plant it set up in Homa Bay County that will use hyacinth weeds to generate energy.
The 35 megawatt plant is the result of deals between the government and British investors as the country looks to woo global financiers to Kenya's renewable energy sector.
London-based Equinox Energy Capital made the announcement on Thursday during President Uhuru Kenyatta's visit to British investors in the UK capital just a day after he met Prime Minister Theresa May.
"We are making progress on our Homa Bay plant and are nearing launch. We would request you to come to Homa Bay for this event," Lord Barker, a representative of the firm told Mr Kenyatta.
He and other business executives drawn from companies with interest in East Africa were speaking at a forum convened by the Kenyan leader to hear investor plans, fears and challenges.
Mr Kenyatta was in London for a conference on Somalia and to meet British government and business leaders.
ALSO READ
ECONOMY & POLITICSMILLERS SAY MEXICAN MAIZE INADEQUATE
ECONOMY & POLITICSEU REVISITS SIGNING OF TRADE PACT
ECONOMY & POLITICSJUBILEE, NASA TABLE NAMES FOR SH1.4M EALA JOBS
Tea plant
Gold Crown Beverages, the firm that produces Kericho Gold-branded flavoured teas and infusions, also announced that it planned to inject Sh2.6 billion in setting up a value-adding plant on a 25-acre plot in Miritini, Mombasa County.
Chief executive officer Nadeem Ahmed told the gathering that the move could employ up to 10,000 youth from the area.
Gold Crown has operated in Kenya since 2001 and is a subsidiary of Global Tea & Commodities Ltd, which is based in the UK.
The meeting was also attended by Bob Chestnut, CEO of Aldwych International, which is part of a consortium delivering the 310 MW Lake Turkana Wind Power Project.
Mr Kenyatta in turn assured the investors that Kenya was fully committed to removal of bottlenecks to business, awhile citing the country's improved rating on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business report.
He also said he was setting up a one-stop-shop investment agency within his office to coordinate all investment enquiries and link businesses to ministries and departments.
President Kenyatta was accompanied to the forum by Cabinet Secretaries Amb. Amina Mohamed (Foreign Affairs) and Charles Keter (Energy and Petroleum), as well as Attorney-General Professor Githu Muigai.
He asked the Energy minister and the AG to work closely with investors to resolve any outstanding issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment