Several projects all marred by the same problem except for the spanish contractor bankruptcy.
Did the government fail to see the situation on the ground. Or maybe someone planned smart and He/She is laughing all the way to the bank.
Are you saying the government with all records forgot to confirm/approach the title deed owners along the transmissions route. And according to you they didn’t fail. Interesting. Very interesting.
That doesn’t exist in our constitution. The law only allows for compulsory land acquisition but that is also subject to litigation in court. This is just like the SGR case only slower. There 5 pieces of land that on SGR route which needed the court to allow for compulsory acquisition while the case continues to date. GoK had to make a deposit of the cost of land to a joint account as instructed by the court so that they gain access on it. If they lose the amount is automatically withdrawn by the land owner.
You can plan all you want but you can’t guess the extent of greed and resistance to a project from the same people you wish to serve. For example a power cable wayleave isn’t land acquisition, its a lease agreement paid out annually. The land still remains with the owner and he can continue growing crops or grazing animals as usual. However they want to be paid amount that is the same as buying it X10.
Yes, you are very slow how many times have I said, its Mr. Sycophant in Chief. Its not my place to say this but try and make more meaningful contributions in the debate other than the losers favourite of insults. You gain nothing from it except immaturity. Have a good day.
Even now LTWP is taking up an incredible 25000 acres of land for 350 wind turbines. Yes its arid land and its the biggest FDI in Kenya ($750 million) but the community around the area still feel aggrieved about all that land. That said we appreciate the power even if its slightly cheaper but not very reliable. There are hours the turbines are slow which means production is lower.
Kinangop failed due to greed as well. The investor tried to buy out the farmers and got ridiculous quotes which meant land acquisition would be the single most expensive item in the project. They tried leasing the land but the price dropped marginally. Imagine paying 10 million an acre in a rural setup for land which will still be on lease. The investor had even imported turbines to setup the test transmission. After 6 years, $10 million in expenses, the project was written off as bankrupt and they moved somewhere else. The turbines were auctioned to settle the remaining bills locally. Incredibly the locals are suing GoK to get back the investor to negotiate while its them who made it impossible. The investor counter sued asking why GoK didn’t force the issue.
All in all ministry of Energy has lost excitement for wind or solar projects due to the large land needed and overall its not a game changer on cheap power needs. Right now investors are being told to consider funding hydro, geothermal or nuclear power projects.
The government hires the valuers. Am yet to understand how their valuations are more than twice the local land retailing prices. Also how same Government officials collude with locals to enter wrong land sizes/ development on land and the government has no time to cross check samples.
Do you have land, valuation is just one aspect of the consideration. Speculation is another, stubborn and greed is another. Go now to Narok along suswa and try buy land. Its valuation is 300000 an acre. Good luck buying at that price. Since it become clear SGR is passing there, the price starts at 1 million. Mind you there are no tarmacked roads there.
And still the land remains empty after sgr Constructions. After Nairobi-Mombasa sgr, the land is still empty. Speculations and greed is what makes land damn expensive
The problems in this project are not that simplistic as “wastefulness of chupilee”.This was a broke contractor(already procured under the initial ownership by LTWP), and the complicated, opportunistic nature of our peaple when it comes to land compensation. Termination was based on the force majeure condition upon bankruptcy of the contractor.Plans are already underway to quickly procure new contractors to complete the works before the revised penalty timelines.