The Konza – Isinya transmission line is a sub-project of the Sh10.5 billion Nairobi Ring project/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 15 – Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter has asked the China Aerospace Group to fast track the construction of the 400KV Konza-Isinya line project.
The contractor has been given 30 months to see the completion of the line which its construction had been delayed over land acquisition cases.
“We need to achieve the construction of the line within the shortest time possible; once it is complete it will be linked to Isinya, going all the way to Tanzania, Suswa, Ol Karia, which will stabilize the quality of power in this region,” said Keter.
Kenya Electricity Transmission company (KETRACO) Chief Executive Officer Fernandes Barasa also requested different communities to comply and assist in the completion of the line.
“I ask landowners to support the project, it has so far made strides like 80 percent of the design is already complete,” Fernandes said.
Its implementation had begun in 2012 with an initial completion date of November 2014.
The Konza – Isinya transmission line is a sub-project of the Sh10.5 billion Nairobi Ring project that was behind schedule as per June 30, 2018.
The project is being financed by the government of Kenya and the Chinese contractor at 15 and 85 percent respectively.
Cabinet Secretary ICT Joe Mucheru also encouraged Kenyan investors to grab investing opportunities within Konza before foreign investors scramble for them.
“I am calling upon the business community to come and invest since in the next few months other investors coming from overseas will be here and we do not want Kenyans to be left behind,” he said.
Once the line is completed, it will also help in attaining Vision of 2030 by improving the quality and reliability of electricity supply and providing electricity to areas that are currently not supplied from the national grid.
It will also serve the purpose of the Big Four Agenda that identifies national development challenges in the electricity sub sector that need to be addressed for Kenya to achieve its goal of transforming into “a newly-industrialising, middle income country.
