Forum criticises proposed laws on oil and gas
An oil rig at Turkana Ngamia One. Participants at an open energy forum have poked holes in proposed new laws for the industry, saying they were silent on recent discoveries of commercial oil and gas reserves in the country. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- The was held even as the government admitted that the extractive industry today had outpaced the legislative framework, giving exploration companies an upper hand in the marketing of the country’s natural resources.
Participants at an open energy forum have poked holes in proposed new laws for the industry, saying they were silent on recent discoveries of commercial oil and gas reserves in the country.
The was held even as the government admitted that the extractive industry today had outpaced the legislative framework, giving exploration companies an upper hand in the marketing of the country’s natural resources.
“We are talking about the petroleum master plan by 2018. We are also working ahead with the infrastructure development plans by 2016. We seem to be putting the horse before the cart,” industry consultant Mwendia Nyaga said.
Mr Patrick Obath, an industry consultant with Eduardo Associates, said that issues touching on petroleum and coal should be treated separately from the Energy Policy and Energy Bill.
The Energy Cabinet Secretary, Mr Davis Chirchir, who presided over the open forum on review of the draft national energy policy and the Energy Bill 2014 said, however, that while all parties’ comments will be incorporated in the final draft Bill, the ministry was moving with speed to adopt the necessary legislation for oil and gas exploration in the country.
