Mombasa-Nairobi oil pipeline to be launched by end of year
President Uhuru Kenyatta during a briefing on the status of infrastructure projects in the energy sector at Harambee House in Nairobi on November 10, 2017. PHOTO | PSCU
The oil pipeline from Mombasa to Nairobi could be commissioned as early as Christmas, Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter has said.
A statement from State House said the pipeline will ease traffic on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway as well as significantly improve supplies and stability in Nairobi and Kisumu and its environs.
“This will have a great impact. It will ease congestion on Mombasa-Nairobi highway and ensure we have very stable petroleum cover,” said Mr Keter Friday.
The pipeline, which is 97 per cent complete, was among issues discussed when President Uhuru Kenyatta met officials in the energy sector. President Kenyatta met the leaders, who included Mr Keter, at Harambee House Friday.
Other officials present were principal secretaries Joseph Njoroge (Energy) and Andrew Kamau (Petroleum), and the CEOs of transmission firm Ketraco, geothermal agency GDC, generator KenGen and distributor Kenya Power.
The CS also said plans to roll out low-cost liquid petroleum gas were at an advanced stage and was also set to launched by Christmas.
He said this will also increase penetration of alternative forms of energy to charcoal and kerosene, which he said the government wants to phase out in the long term.
President Kenyatta was also briefed on infrastructure around the oil fields in Turkana, including road repairs and the fixing of the damaged Kainuk bridge, added the statement. The bridge collapsed recently following heavy rains that have been pounding the country.
