Written by Joyce Nzomo
Kenya’s environmental watchdog, NEMA (National Environment Management Authority), has rejected a proposal to build a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Laikipia County.
The project was being pushed by Unit 2HA Investment Energy Africa, a firm linked to Harun Aydin, a Turkish businessman who was deported from Kenya in 2021.
The company had sought environmental clearance to move forward with the project on a 3,000-acre piece of land.
This was meant to be a first step before applying for a license to generate electricity. But NEMA turned down the request.
NEMA CEO Mamo Boru Mamo said the company did not meet key legal requirements. One major issue was the lack of a clear and detailed cost breakdown of the project.
Without that information, an independent quantity surveyor was unable to verify the project’s actual costs.
The surveyor requested a formal and itemized Bill of Quantities, but the company failed to provide it.
The proposed cost of the project Sh155.4 million also raised red flags. Experts said the amount was unrealistically low.
They explained that such a budget is less than 3% of what is normally needed to build a solar plant of that size.
In addition, the project was faulted for not involving the public as required by law.
