The African Development Bank, Kenyan energy company KETRACO is holding a workshop on PPP law | African Development Bank

The African Development Bank recently hosted a workshop for stakeholders in the Kenyan energy sector to discuss the new Public-Private Partnership Act 2021 and how it can advance the country’s energy industry.

The March 23 to March 24 event was organized in partnership with the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), the country’s energy transmission agency. The participants looked at the status of the law and made recommendations to accelerate the development of PPP.

The new law, signed into law in December 2021, recognizes the need to increase private sector participation in the financing, construction, development, operation or maintenance of infrastructure or development projects. For the energy sector, PPPs will contribute to the development of generation and transmission lines.

In addition to providing an in-depth understanding of the development of PPP transmission lines, the workshop also aimed to create key synergies that will help accelerate the development of PPPs.

It followed a series of agreements between the Bank and KETRACO on their proposed PPP transmission line program and the need to clarify aspects of the law.

The Kenyan utility had asked the bank for support in financing and organizing the event to review the law and help create knowledge and understanding and accelerate the development of private transmission projects in the country.

“Part of our initial due diligence revealed that there was a knowledge gap within the PPP project implementation team and, more generally, a need for clarity on how to manage key stakeholders in the assessment, procurement and structuring of PPPs for transmission lines,” said Angela Nalikka , Manager Power Systems Solutions Development at the African Development Bank.

Speaking at the event, General Manager, Project Development Services at KETRACO, John Mativo, said the workshop had given staff a better understanding of PPP law.

“The institution is certainly in a stronger position to engage stakeholders and we are grateful to the African Development Bank for their contribution,” said Mativo.

The event attracted participants from the country’s electricity agencies, government departments and development agencies.

Attendees included the Ministry of Energy, Kenya Power and Lighting Company Limited, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Kenya Electricity Generation Limited (KENGEN), SwedFund and the International Finance Corporation.