Munyes affirms work on Sh266b gas line on course
Kenya has begun the process of actualising the multi-billion shillings gas pipeline agreement it signed with Tanzania, Petroleum Cabinet Secretary John Munyes has confirmed.
He said the government has deployed technocrats to work on the designs that will later pave way for the construction of the pipeline by early next year.
Kenya and Tanzania have signed an agreement to start working on a gas pipeline from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa in what the two countries’ leaders, Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Samia Suluhu of Tanzania said was part of a long-term project to share energy resources.
“The companies that are tasked with designs have started doing so, and by end of this year they will have completed the design work to pave way for construction work early next year,” said Munyes during a tour at the Lamu port.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Co-operation in Natural Gas Transportation means respective Ministers of Energy can start negotiating the design, cost and other logistical needs for the pipeline to be built.
“It’s going to cost $2.5 billion (Sh266.3 billion), and it will be privately funded, we want to lay the gas pipeline from Dar to Mombasa and later to Nairobi, this is a game changer, it’s going to lower our gas prices, and also provide environmental friendly energy,” said Munyes.
At a joint Press conference in Nairobi, Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu and her Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta said they had agreed to build more interconnecting infrastructure, starting with a gas pipeline and roads.
A joint communiqué said it will enhance “energy sufficiency” with Kenya keen on importing gas from Tanzania’s nascent plant.
Speaking to the media when he toured the Lamu Port facility during an inspection accompanied by Treasury CS Ukur Yatani, Munyes also hinted that the laying of pipeline from Lokichar to Lamu to transport crude oil for commercialisation is still underway.
Big achievement
“Once completed, Kenya will be pumping 80,000 barrels per day, which is a big achievement, we are engaging communities along the corridor and soon we will finalise this year,” he said.
Munyes said there will be a jetty near berth No.3 at the Lamu Port to ensure shipment of crude oil to foreign nations,this is after foreign users certified the oil as suitable and among the highest quality.
“We need to commercilise it and this is through a pipeline to Lamu from Lokichar.
The focus now is to acquire the land to lay the pipeline, we have been doing 2,000 barrels per day through track, and this will require a pipeline to transport more than 80,000 barrels per day,” he added.
Munyes hinted that by the end of this year the agency will have acquired land, and begun to compensate affected communities before kick-starting the constitution work.
The Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) corridor represents Kenya’s largest infrastructure undertaking.
Identified as a critical macro-enabler under Vision 2030, it aims to reduce dependence on the Northern Corridor road network through creation of a second transport corridor.
