Magical Kenya for unmatched energy - CF

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MAGICAL KENYA FOR UNMATCHED ENERGY – WHY WE NEED MORE ENERGY Article by Collins k Wafula Executive Director of Nuclear Energy is the Better (NUeB) August 16, 2021

Energy availability and accessibility defines a nation’s development. A country whose people are industrious and innovative can take an important place in the world map. Let me create for you a visual picture of our country. Kenya is a magical nation full of life and resources.

Our borders do not constrain the love for the people and nature – we are lovable. Kenyans are a piece of art in their hearts, a cozy people without discrimination by race or color. Everyone has their own stories. But ours are written within our art! You can feel the magic.

Policy and governance are strong pillars in energy and environment decisions, more specifically nuclear energy - a new technology that the country wants to employ by 2036.

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Since the 90’s, the country has faced so much of the toxic politics from forces within the borders. Notable supreme leaders gave up their integrity and tyrannically ruled for over two decades before re-introduction of multi-party state reforms, by the late Former President Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi. Later on, the 2010 Kenyan constitution was passed and in August of that year, it was executed by the former president Mwai Kibaki. This gave rise to so many policy makers starting from the county level to the national level. The national government has a vision of providing affordable, quality energy for all Kenyans. The government, through the Ministry of Environment (MoE), is determined to initiate programs and has created institutions to enhance the country’s power generation capacity and aims to diversify the energy mix. The latter is a transformation of the socioeconomic face of the country.

County governments on the other hand, led by the Governors and Energy CECs, preside over Strategies set by the national government to ensure Energy efficiency conservation in the Housing, Building, Industry and agriculture, transport and the Power utilities subsectors.

Policies that lead to these energy reforms are drawn from Vision 2030, Energy Act 2019, Sustainable Energy For All (SE4ALL) just to name but a few. Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA), Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), are parastatal of the government under the ministry of Energy and Ministry of Energy and Petroleum (MoEP).

Our primary sources of energy and energy resources available Our primary sources of energy are Hydroelectricity (825.69 MW), Geothermal (713.13 MW), Wind (25.5 MW), & Thermal (253.5 MW) for electricity. Our energy purchase by 2020 was 11,462 GWh and a total generation capacity in the generation mix was 1817.82 MW in our national grid by 2021. Other sources of energy are solar PV, and the fossil fuels – biomass, diesel, LPG, coal, biogas.

Energy poverty in Kenya is like a drug on a light body system; but we can attest that clean cooking technologies are making huge strides into providing modern jikos and energy efficient stoves for households.

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Primary energy use/energy supply in kilo tones of energy Biofuels and waste

16208

Geothermal, solar, wind, etc

3855

Oil products

3659

Crude Oil

701

Coal

349

Hydro

326

Electricity

2

Heat

0

Natural Gas

0

Nuclear

0

0

2015

2000 4000 6000 8000 1000012000140001600018000

Source: IEA Statistics 2015 Response systems to electricity outage is a toll to development especially to the villages with less business traffic. I walked into a certain house in our village, in the Western parts of the country – Bungoma South district - only to hear complaints of blackouts that has been there for two consecutive days. The power lines had been affected by the light winds which caused a tree branch to “say hi” and thereafter affecting transmission.

Complex and upgraded grid systems are our country’s next big thing. Before the, the demand for this electricity will continue to be higher and most especially during the dry seasons when rains are low. That’s when most people get trouble. Brownouts are experienced due to the overload to the transformer’s voltage or capacity. Blackouts are a convenient way to let the Kenyan’s seek for other sources of energy – and especially fossil fuels like Kerosene.

Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited - KETRACO (https://ketraco.co.ke) manages over transmission line construction and maintenance. So far, 2,424 km transmission lines have been installed in the country with some 220-66-11kv distribution system voltage in some substations. The Kenya Power (KP) is mandated to work over the connectivity and metering of the power utility (purchase) into the customer’s premises. A peak demand of 1,926 MWh was recorded by Kenya Power (KP) in the financial year 2019/20 that ended in June 2020.

We want to move forward by going green. But sometimes we are going green with a third world mentality. What do I mean? We fear the unknown. We cower over the past experiences. We are afraid of doing what it takes with integrity to achieve the 3

unachieved. I love South Africa. And I love Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela who allowed the whites to stay with them in South Africa. We can attest that there is resounding energy development in RSA’s economy. Not many of the Kenyans or some policy makers in Kenya have this courage.

Education on Nuclear Science and Engineering is a very important aspect that cannot be overlooked. Not many have done nuclear sciences and engineering and the structures are wanting. We need a nuclear reactor in the country to aid in research and nuclear development within the country. There is only one university nuclear department in Kenya. The University of Nairobi’s Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology is the mother institution of nuclear engineers. Programs in Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree and Doctor of Philosophy in Nuclear Science and Technology have proven a success to the Kenyan Nuclear Scientists because a nuclear power project is on its planning phase. Implemented programs have sent members of key energy agencies to international testing laboratories and for trainings to equip them with skills for the power program. We would like partnerships be established to create an educational center to teach nuclear science and engineering soon in Kenya.

In conclusion, reaching out to the rural regions not only requires renewables but also nuclear electricity which will cover the gap between availability and access. Yes, there is energy in the country but it’s just too little for the needs of the people. Some regions like Garissa and Mandera have never seen electricity, as REREC can attest. A billion Kenya shilling renewable energy project was invested to bring them into the light. How much more will the unmatched nuclear energy provide. And how many regions will be electrified? It’s not just a technology, it’s a miracle.

Nuclear Power is more to be desired than coal!

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