In response to President William Ruto’s call for increased investment in Kenya’s geothermal energy sector, Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has voiced sharp criticism, highlighting inefficiencies in power transmission as the country’s real problem.
During the launch of the 35 Mega Watt Orpower 22 Power Plant in Menengai, Nakuru County on Thursday, October 24, 2024, Ruto emphasized the untapped potential of geothermal energy in Kenya, noting that the country has harnessed less than 10% of its capacity.
Ruto noted that Kenya, which can produce up to 10,000 MW of geothermal power, has only tapped 950 MW so far.
“So far, we have tapped only 950 Mega Watts, a small fraction of our geothermal potential of nearly 10,000 Mega Watts, leaving immense opportunities still untapped,” Ruto remarked.
He encouraged private sector players to seize the vast opportunities in Kenya’s geothermal resources.
“We have just touched less than 10 per cent. We have a whole 90 per cent to go, and the government of Kenya is ready and willing and prepared to work with the Private Sector to unlock this potential.”
The president stressed the need for speed in these efforts, pointing out that although Kenya ranks as the sixth-largest geothermal power producer globally, much more could be achieved with private-sector collaboration.
“Although we are yet to utilize our full geothermal energy potential, investors like Orpower Twenty-Two exemplify the value of government-private sector collaboration in attracting foreign direct investment and creating employment opportunities for our citizens.”
However, Senator Olekina challenged the president’s focus on investment in geothermal production, arguing that the real issue lies in the country’s inability to effectively distribute the power that is already being generated.
In a pointed rebuttal on X, Olekina argued that 8% of the geothermal power produced in Kenya goes to waste due to transmission inefficiencies.
“Our problem is not power generation, @WilliamsRuto, but rather power transmission,” Olekina stated.
“We are not able to evacuate 800GWh (8% of total sales) to various load centers. This power is stranded at our geothermal stations. The steam is vented to the atmosphere at night.”
The senator called on the government to prioritize the distribution of existing power before focusing on generating more.
“So today, as you launch the 105MW Menengai Geothermal project, let’s focus on distribution. We need to get that power to Narok, Western, and Nyanza to build our economy,” Olekina wrote.
