Ruto reveals government plan for increased electricity production
The Government plans to provide electricity at least to 70 percent of Kenyans in the next three years, Deputy President William Ruto has said.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Friday, Mr Ruto said the Government had engaged in the ambitious project including infrastructural development so as to spur economic growth.
He said Kenya wanted to create an environment that will attract investment to the country and create employment.
“Kenya is looking forward to generate clean energy. In the next three years we will have 300 per cent supply of electricity. We want it to reach 70 percent of our population,” Ruto said.
The Deputy president said with cheap power supply and good infrastructure, investors will find Kenya a good place for their investment.
The power project is funded by the African Development Bank.
FOOD SECURITY
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore hailed Africa and particularly Kenya on the use of mobile phone money transfer. He said Africa needed to light up homes and industries for development to be realised.
Speaking at the same meeting, Mr Gore, the chairman of Generation Investment Management, said Africa was proving itself in matters of technology.
Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar, Ivory Coast Prime Minister Kablan Duncan and Nigerian business magnate Tony Elumelu also addressed the meeting.
Later, Mr Ruto also addressed the meeting on food security situation in Kenya and how to improve the image of the African continent.
Mr Elumelu, who is investor in the energy sector, asked African countries to provide the necessary environment for the private sector to prosper.
The forum that included investors, Governments and developers explored ways of financing, new technology and business models-including off-grid distributed energy solutions-that can be developed to provide more people with power.