Kenya Power-Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) deal questioned
A petition questioning the secrete dealings between Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) and the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) firm has been filed in the National Assembly.
Baringo North Member of Parliament Joseph Makilap wants the parliament to probe the deal specifically regarding payments made in 2017 before KPLC was linked to LTWP.
He also said that the Kenya Power board chairperson Vivienne Yeda is the Director General of the East African Development Bank (EADB) which is a co-financier of LTWP and thus raising possible direct conflict of interest.
“Is it not a conflict of interest that Yeda, the EADP Director General, the bank which financed the project doubles up as the chairperson of Kenya Power? In whose interest was the chair appointed at Kenya Power to represent?” he questioned.
Makilap questioned whether there was a link to the unutilised billions of shillings paid to Kenya Power and the high utility bills.
However, Yeda, through her spokesman Charles Gacheru denied that there was any conflict of interest.
“Lake Turkana Wind Power Was started in 2006 and was ready to generate power in 2017 and Yeda was appointed Kenya Power chair in 2020, 14 years after the project started,” Gacheru stated.
“The power purchase agreement was signed in 2013 and payments among others, approved in 2017 before Yeda became chair,” he added.
LTWP has emerged as the second largest supplier for the last four years since it started electricity production.
The petition is expected to be tabled before the House Business Committee as soon as Parliament sessions resume.
