Kenya Stands To Gain From Biofuel Investments

The Kenyan delegation poses for a photograph with one of the Director of the congress. They are from left: Jeruto Chepkuonyi, Trade & Tourism Officer, Nigel Yeates, Research Direcor, GreenPower conferences, H.E Prof Ruthie Rono, Kenya’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Emilio Mugo, Senior Deputy Director, KFS, Jim Okuto, Zonal Manager Mwingi and Jerome Mwanzia, Project Manager, GZDSP.

A number of investors have expressed interest in investing in Bio fuels and renewable energy in Kenya. This emerged during the World Bio fuels Congress held in Amsterdam, Holland from 13^th to 15^th March 2010 which was graced by the presence of Kenya’s Ambassador the Netherlands, Her Excellency Prof Ruthie Rono, and attended by a KFS delegation led by the Senior Deputy Director Emilio Mugo.

The Kenyan delegation, which also included the Embassy’s Trade and Tourism Officer Jeruto Chepkuoni, the Project Manager GZDSP Jerome Mwanzia and Zonal Manager Mwingi Jim Lawi Okuto held various consultative meetings with investors as well as the congress organizers on the sidelines of the congress.

On a positive note, the congress organisers, the GreenPower Conferences, expressed interest in holding a regional Biofuels conference in Kenya before the end of the year. In addition, a Brussels based company Pangea Global Initiatives are due to commission a bio fuel project in Thika and Nyanza province in the near future. Discussions were also held with Denmark based Novozymes company that is undertaking a pilot project in Mozambique to convert cassava grown by local farmers into ethanol for cooking by the same communities. The company expressed willingness to replicate the same in Kenya.

The congress dwelt on biofuels crops, extraction processes, current global undertakings and marketing aspects.  While contributing, the Ambassador said that Kenya is keen to harness renewable energy which is key to realization of the country’s vision of attaining middle level economy status as envisaged in the country’s blue print, Vision 2030 and welcomes all investors in this vital undertaking. The SDD stressed the need to increase land productivity per unit area rather that increase in land area under biofuels as a way of optimising on the land use potential.

The Kenyan delegation later toured The Hague and was able to visit landmarks such as International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Kenyan Embassy in the Netherlands.

Kenya’s team at a working session on the sidelines of the conference

The KFS team at the residence of Kenya’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, H.E Prof Ruthie Rone (2^nd Right).

KFS team outside the International Court of Justice at the Hague.