The Chinese will constitute 40 per cent of the workforce that will build the 1,050 megawatt power generator.7
Summary
The number of Chinese workers in Kenya’s crowded labour market is set to increase significantly when construction of Lamu’s coal power plant begins later this year, official reports indicate.
A Chinese developer contracted by the consortium that won the contract to build and operate the plant has said it plans to hire 1,400 Chinese for the task, highlighting the extent to which Kenya’s mega infrastructure projects are dependent on Chinese labour.
Regulatory filings by Amu Power Company — the consortium that won the tender for the Sh200 billion plant — show that the Chinese will constitute 40 per cent of the workforce that will build the 1,050 megawatt power generator.
Amu has contracted Chinese firm Power Construction Corporation (PowerChina) to build the plant, reflecting Chinese contractors’ preference for bringing in technical personnel from their home country for similar projects.
As we lament at the lack of jobs in Kenya, Chinese companies, who are being awarded lucrative construction tenders, are bringing their own chinkus to do the work. We will just remain a betting nation!
When are we going to rise up against soft colonization by China?
I also don’t like this coal power, it will lead to massive pollution, environmental degradation and respiratory health problems to residents in Lamu. Why can’t the Govt just continue with clean energy e.g Wind, Geothermal, Solar?
The “first” world was propelled to where it is today because of coal power. Now that they are all developed and have discovered nuclear power and shi+, they say tunaharibu environment. In 2015, 33% of energy in the U.S.A came from coal ( https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3 ). 68% if Chinese power comes from coal.
Hebu waachane na sisi na makaa yetu. The only problem itakua if we’ll export all the raw coal and then import industrial fuel of other sorts.
Location- Lamu amu coal power is meant to power the whole of North Kenya and all lappset projects. At the moment there is no high voltage lines from national grid to north Kenya. Even garissa was connected this year using low voltage power line.
Solar power plants are only effective during the day. The region needs a stable load power supply to give constant power day and night. The Lamu wind project is projected to generate only 50 MW.
Modern coal plants have been designed to pollute a lot less in fact there is no difference with a gas or heavy fuel plant. Diesel plants days are over in Kenya as their power is expensive.
Coal plants are also cheap to maintain and ran. Lamu was picked since it’s at the coast where ships will offload the coal and transported quickly to the plant. How easily you get the coal to the plant determines the cost of power. Transporting it through road will be expensive so if its over land it has to be through railways.
Back to the point of contention, surprisingly we dont have the technical manpower to put up such technical structures. Even pipeline imported 450 welders for the new Mombasa/Nairobi pipeline. Since the contractor is signing $20 million performance contract guarantee that the quality of the plant will be perfect, they are not taking anything for granted. The materials and the build has to be perfect. Us Kenyans need to stop converting technical colleges and polytechnics to universities. We are no longer producing technical graduates to handle blue collar jobs but flooding the market with white collar degrees. In the technical field diplomas and certificates are cherished but dwindling.
That said celebrate since this is the biggest power plant in Kenya and the biggest Private Public Participation power project in subsaharan Africa. Its being built by Centum investment who got the loan from China, built by Chinese construction co. and will supply power to the whole of north Kenya.
This Amu Power plant was meant to be in Kitui to use our own coal but that project has stalled. The leaders there became too greedy and the demands become unsustainable. The land prices rose 10 times, they want the Chinese firm to build schools, hospitals, roads, water, markets and social halls. Factoring all that its came to more than 50% of the amount they wanted to invest in the plant. They have since stopped it and urged the local leaders to renegotiate the demands.
I like your reasoning and agree with your points. But look at these hazardous matters from the plant:
[ol]
[li]First, on particulates - They’re basically an issue for those living downwind of the station.[/li]
[li]dust from fly-ash - Who would want to live near toxic industrial ashes?[/li][/ol]
And then, I’ve not heard of Coal deposits in Lamu. Where is the coal coming from? unless it was discovered there recently. Will it be transported from Kitui? or will we be importing from South Africa?
Someone enlighten me.
“I have nothing against the Chines but the government need to appoint a very good auditor to audit their work at every stage. I was working for Morupule coal mine in Botswana when they(Chines) were contracted to put up a 600MW Morupule power plant for Botswana. They changed most of the original designs on the plant done by Germans designers. Today 6years later the plant has never stabilized with a lot of technical hitches encountered daily with the plant at most supplying half of the original targeted power. The government of Botswana has proposed to sell the power plant to them so that they bear the burden of the poor workmanship which has bled the Botswana government more than shs150Billion to date. Take heed”
“Worked with some Chinese in a certain Technical company in Kenya , these guys are mean with their technology and most have this attitude that Africans know nothing, we smartly evicted them from the technical fields they purported to be experts and were hoping to stay there for decades and managed to improve our efficiency tremendously with the very same Kenyan Technical expertise they thought knew nothing. This Amu consortium guys should source very good and experienced local Project Engineers and Process and Operations Engineers
( like me ) and Technicians who have dealt with these guys before to guide this project to ensure they do not fall into the pitfall of entirely relying on the Chinese for 25 good years and exporting that amount of labor to the detriment of our Kenyan youth.”
“I travelled to China 2 years ago and bought a machine. When it arrived, it could not do what it was meant to do. It had some basic errors. I am not an engineer so I called the Chinese engineers and explained the problem. They promised to remake the offending parts and send them by air. Meanwhile, a friend who tugged along to see the machine promised to redesign the parts for me. As I was desperate, I gave him the go ahead. The two parts arrived almost at the same time. One from Chinese engineers and the other designed by a Kenyan and made in Kirinyaga road. There was no comparison. The Kirinyaga road part won hands down! It is the one I’m using now. I think we Kenyans should have harnessed the technical skills we learnt from the British. Now, we have to make do with inferior Chinese technology!”
Hata shida sio makaa yetu sana. Apart from the environmental hazards in this day and age, why should we be relying on ‘Chinese experts’ when we have competent technicians who are tarmacking looking for descent employment to sharpen their skills?
Amu power will buy the coal from the cheapest producer whether IRS south Africa, Australia or China. No preference until the day the Kitui plant is done and SGR extends from Kitui to Lamu whichever direction. Sending it by road will be expensive.
Why do we have university trained graduates ? Wouldn’t we offer local employment if we employ our own? Remember when you ask for rain expect mud,with that these Chinese are coming with their balls so expect half bred Chinese children around …
:D. JOKES aside we need very few involvement of Chinese in our local industrialisation .1400 is a huge number of Chinese coming in
Shida ni sisi wakenya tunajiweka chini very few employers watapatia fresh graduate opportunities na wale wanapewa job its due to their tribe and nepotism
Hiyo ata haiko sai… Kwani ni wapi huku mnapata nepotism? Unless watafta government jobs. The market right now is flooded by degree holders with less technicians each passing day. I said kibaki trying to upgrade all technical schools to universities without enough technical colleges was our undoing. Few years down the line, technicians will be less, valuable and costly to maintain.
I wish ingekuwa ni govt pekee kuna nepotism but hii problem iko wide spread if you do not believe me ask anyone who is still looking for work. Infact hata kupata internship mpaka mtu aku connect.
) and Technicians who have dealt with these guys before to guide this project to ensure they do not fall into the pitfall of entirely relying on the Chinese for 25 good years and exporting that amount of labor to the detriment of our Kenyan youth.”