Is there any need to insult me? I know you loathe Kenya so much and you argue based on feelings and not facts.
Do you think that your country is the only one with mega projects? Every country have .Kenya has already finished some of her projects like the turkana wind power plant. Some of your projects are still underway.
And please leave Kenya alone.Hamna mahali Kenya inahamia.It's always be in E.A.Meza panga!!
U mean this project the owner is waiting to cash Kshs 136 bln even before the project has started?
Turkana wind project owners to get Sh136bn
May. 19, 2018, 12:45 am
By BRIAN WASUNA
@bwasuna
The view of the Ksh 70 billion Lake Turkana Wind Power Project in Loiyangalani district of Marsabit County of Northern Kenya sitting on a 40,000 acres piece of land on August 16, 2016. The farm is the largest private investment in Kenya’s history will comprise 365 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 850 kW which aims to provide 310MW to Kenya’s national grid. Photo/Jack Owuor
The owners of the controversy-stricken Lake Turkana Wind Power plant stand to earn Sh136.4 billion in profits from selling electricity to Kenya Power in 20 years if the project succeeds.
The plant, which is almost the size of Nairobi county, was completed last year but has not taken off due to a dispute over compensation for the land, and failure by contractors to complete the power lines.
It is expected to add 310 megawatts to the national grid and has capacity to power up to one million homes.
Last year, the power firm slapped Kenya with a Sh5.7 billion fine for failing to complete construction of power transmission lines by the agreed January, 2017 timeline.
Kenyans were to be condemned to Sh1 billion per month in fines starting June, but the government has successfully negotiated a deferment of the penalties to September.
Construction of the power lines had been awarded to two phantom companies that went bankrupt.
The plant sits on 150,000 acres of land in Marsabit county, with 365 wind turbines capable of producing 850 kilowatts of electricity.
The residents have sued for compensation for the land from the government.
In documents filed in court, the investors reveal that they will pocket Sh136.4 billion in profits in a 20-year power purchase deal with distributor Kenya Power and Lighting.
The plant's owners have already written a letter to Marsabit county government demanding Sh224.2 billion indemnity, in the event the suit filed by residents succeeds. It includes the legal fees they will have spent defending themselves and the cost of construction.
In the letter of indemnity, LTWP wants Sh136.4 billion to cover the profits it expects to make and Sh77 billion to cater for costs of building the power plant.
The firm has also demanded a Sh10.3 billion cushion against fines that will be paid by the Kenyan government for failing to complete power transmission lines that will enable LTWP pump electricity to the national grid.
Six Marsabit residents have sued the power plant's owners, Marsabit County, the Chief Land Registrar, the Attorney General and the National Land Commission.
Five other Laisamis residents have joined the suit as interested parties to support the project.
Mediation by representatives of the Kenya National Commission of Human Rights (KNCHR), Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Law Society of Kenya and the Ombudsman's office was unable to resolve the dispute.
Electricity from the wind park will be sold to Kenya Power at Sh8.7 per unit (8.5 US cents), which is roughly three times less the cost of diesel.
LTWP Limited is owned by a consortium of the UK-based Aldwych International, Netherlands' KP&P Africa BV, the US government through its Overseas Private Investment Corporation, search engine Google, the Dutch Fund for Developing Countries, Finland's Finnfund and the Norwegian Fund for Developing Countries.
Meru High Court judge Lucy Mbugua has now ordered that the case file be referred to Chief Justice David Maraga to set up a three-judge bench to determine the dispute.
Justice Mbugua's ruling followed LTWP's insistence that the suit raises weighty constitutional questions.
Turkana wind project owners to get Sh136bn