Nairobi, Monday, January 10, 2022: Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen), has completed Phase One of the 25 acres Ngong Forest Restoration Project.
Commenced in October 2018, the project involved planting 7,000 indigenous trees around a degraded site in Ngong hills forest power station, where KenGen generates 25.5MW of electricity from wind energy.
The initiative is in line with the company’s Environmental Conservation Program and Corporate Environmental Sustainability Policy, which seeks to undertake an additional 10 Hectares ecosystem restoration project in Phase II within the KenGen lease area at Ngong during the 2021/2022 financial year.
According to Ngong forest restoration Phase I's completion report, KenGen attained a 100% trees survival rate, marking the project as completed and successful.
The report read: “The project’s final milestone verification for milestone 3 final quarter was carried out on 21st June 2021 followed by a final Project Implementation Team (PIT) meeting at Ngong project site where 7,134 seedlings were verified as surviving against a target of 7,000 seedlings thus a 100% success achieved rehabilitating an area covering 10.7 acres (est).”
Speaking on the achievement, KenGen’s Managing Director and CEO, Rebecca Miano, said the company has fully aligned itself to climate action agenda and rolled out various environmental conservation projects across the country which will go a long way in in helping to slow down the effects on climate change.
“As an organisation committed to ensuring environmental sustainability in our areas of operations, we shall keep on ensuring that the plans for subsequent phases in the Ngong forest restoration project are delivered successfully,” said Miano, adding “this will complement other climate action efforts including our deployment of green energy power projects including construction of 83MW Olkaria I unit 6 which is almost complete.”
KenGen’s Environment and Sustainable Development Manager, Joshua Were, said that KenGen had rolled out plans to undertake an additional 10 hectares ecosystem restoration project within KenGen lease area during the 2021/2022 financial year. This he said will be achieved through planting, protection, replacing and maintenance of 10,000 assorted indigenous tree seedlings.
“Our aim is 100% growth rate, we do not only plant trees but also go a step further to ensure that all the trees are well taken care of and natured to maturity,” said Mr. Were.
KenGen has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with partners including Kenya Wildlife Services. In the MoU, KenGen is required to carry out conservation and management activities of Ngong Forest while also carrying out mitigation measures identified in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment study for the proposed construction of 10MW Ngong Phase IIIA wind project at Ngong Hill.
The project supports the commitment towards NETFUND 2 billion campaign where the company has pledged to plant and grow 400,000 seedlings per year.
Over the years, KenGen has supported initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change while maintaining ecological balance. The initiatives such as the Green Initiative Challenge (GIC) launched in 2013 has been under the KenGen Foundation’s environmental pillar and community sensitization.
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Note to Editor:
About KenGen
Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC - KenGen is the leading electricity generation company in Eastern Africa region with an installed generation capacity market share of more than 60%. The company’s primary business is to provide safe, reliable, and competitively priced electric energy for the country in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner while creating value for its stakeholders.
Today, KenGen PLC has an installed generation capacity of 1,818MW, of which over 86% is drawn from green sources namely: Hydro (826MW), Geothermal (713MW), Thermal (253MW), and Wind (25.5MW).
For media queries please contact:
Frank D. Ochieng, Tel:0721816896
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Naivasha, February 10, 2022: Residents of Naivasha have a reason to smile after KenGen PLC through its philanthropy arm, the KenGen Foundation today donated 300 (1,000 litre capacity) water tanks to several public institutions in Naivasha sub-county as part of its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) program.
The initiative which is part of KenGen PLC’s commitment to address water and sanitation challenges faced by communities, especially those neighboring its power installations has so far benefitted more than 10,000 families in marginalized areas.
The tanks are expected to reduce the infection rates of waterborne infections and person-to-person transmission of diseases related to poor hygiene within Naivasha sub-county; a problem that is faced by an estimated 41% of Kenya’s population.
KenGen Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, who is also the Chair of KenGen Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Rebecca Miano said, “Access to clean water is one of the most effective ways of curbing the spread and lowering the rates of waterborne infections and other related diseases. That is why KenGen has invested in the construction, installation and supply of water systems and water points among communities around our installations.”
Speaking during the distribution exercise, KenGen Foundation Managing Trustee, Anthony Igecha said the company has designed a Clean Water Accessibility Program to help equip communities living around KenGen installations with best practice skills on water harvesting and storage.
Over the years, KenGen has continued to invest heavily in the construction, installation and supply of water systems and water points in Machakos, Embu, Kitui, and other host counties across the country.
“We have a robust CSI strategy, which recognizes that Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects must be inclusive to achieve the basic human right to water and sanitation and reach the most vulnerable, while setting the tone for inclusion in other community- based projects,” said Mr. Igecha.
Through the KenGen Foundation, KenGen implements its social activities through sustainable projects focusing on three core pillars namely Education, Environment, Water and Sanitation. The Foundation complements the Company’s efforts in contributing to the general health and welfare of host communities.
Other related community-beneficial activities implemented by KenGen in partnership with key stakeholders, donors, and County Governments include building of sand dams, construction of water tanks, and provision of piped water.
ENDS...//
Note to Editor:
About KenGen
Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC - KenGen is the leading electricity generation company in Eastern Africa region with an installed generation capacity market share of more than 60%. The company’s primary business is to provide safe, reliable, and competitively priced electric energy for the country in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner while creating value for its stakeholders.
Today, KenGen PLC has an installed generation capacity of 1,818MW, of which over 86% is drawn from green sources namely: Hydro (826MW), Geothermal (713MW), Thermal (253MW), and Wind (26MW).
For media queries please contact:
Frank D. Ochieng Tel:0721816896
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Hon. James Opiyo Wandayi, EGH, MP, is a former Leader of the Minority Party in the National Assembly. He resigned while serving his third consecutive term as the Member of Parliament for Ugunja Constituency, having been elected to Parliament for the first time in 2013. He was nominated His Excellency the President as the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum on 23rd July 2024. He was formally sworn in as Cabinet Secretary, Energy and Petroleum on 8th August 2024.
The Hon. Wandayi is a social democrat and firm believer in equity and fairness in the management of private and public affairs. He is a member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), where he has held the position of Secretary for Political Affairs since 2014. He also serves as the Second Deputy Secretary-General of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party.
The Hon. Wandayi served as the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for five years in the 12th Parliament (2017 - 2022). During his tenure, he provided leadership to the premier parliamentary watchdog committee in interrogating use of public funds by the National Government, the Judiciary, Constitutional Commissions and Independent Offices. He played a crucial role in public sector accountability with regard to government financial operations by ensuring value for money for Government Projects, Programs and Service Delivery.
During the same period, the Hon. Wandayi also served as the Secretary-General of the African Organization of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC), a Pan-African institution that advocates for accountability and good governance.
In recognition of his outstanding work and contribution to the country, he has been awarded the 1st Class Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (C.B.S); Moran of the Order of the Golden Heart (M.G.H) and most recently, the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (E.G.H).
Prior to joining elective politics, the Hon. Wandayi had acquired extensive experience in strategic and operational management and people leadership within a multinational business environment. Between 1998 and 2012, he held core management positions in the private sector within and outside Kenya – the last being Leaf Business Sustainability Manager, responsible for Uganda and DRC at British American Tobacco. In these roles, he developed and implemented excellent communication and engagement strategies with governments, the media and other stakeholders for successful execution of business plans. He also provided leadership to teams of people of diverse backgrounds and orientation to consistently deliver on key business objectives.
The Hon. Wandayi is an alumnus of the University of Nairobi (UoN) where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, specializing in Agricultural Economics in 1996. In addition, the Hon. Wandayi holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and a Diploma in Business Management from the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM). He has recently obtained a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Daystar University.
Alex Kamau Wachira - Principal Secretary
The Principal Secretary joins the State Department for Energy with a wealth of experience from the private sector where he worked variously as an investment banker. His latest assignment was with Faida Investment Bank where he traded and structured Treasury bonds and Corporate bonds at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). Other assignments include working with Dyer & Blair Investment Bank and Genghis Capital limited in the same capacity.
PS Wachira has served in various leadership’s positions right from his university days. He was a founding member of the Bonds Market Association as well as a member of the Steering Committee of the Kenya Association of Stock Brokers and Investment Bankers (KASIB). His contribution to the Bond’s market saw him being appointed to the Central Depository Project at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). In 2021, the project dealt in government securities worth 900 billion, the highest turnover ever in Kenya.
The PS launched his career in the financial sector after participating in the issuance of the Safaricom IPO in 2008 where he interned. He had prior completed a Bsc Degree course from the University of Nairobi. At Campus, he served as the Secretary General NUNSA and Treasurer for the Confederation of Medical Students Association. He is currently pursuing an MA in Leadership at Pan African Christian University.
A strong believer in servant leadership through community engagement and development, in that position, the PS was able to spearhead initiatives such, as free medical camps for Cancer Screening, Tree planting, Youth Mentorship Programmes, and Sports Tournaments among others. Born and bred in Kieni Constituency, Nyeri County, the PS is a family man who’s strict up bringing is instrumental in shaping him into the person he is.