Toyota Tsusho Corporation said on Sunday it wanted to invest billions of dollars in Kenya’s energy sector after it successfully build the 280-megawatt Olkaria plants that have significantly enhanced Kenya’s “green” credentials.

At a meeting in Tokyo with President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is on a five-day official visit, senior Toyota Tsusho executives said they had set their eyes on a number of geothermal projects the government is due to put to tender in the coming weeks.

The projects include a unit of Olkaria I and V, and Olkaria VI. Other fields of interest included Menengai, Akiira, Longonot, Baringo-Silali and Suswa power projects, Toyota Tsusho CEO Jun Karube told the President.

It signaled a significant rise in interest in investing in Kenya by the Japanese government and companies, and followed Friday’s watershed meeting between President Kenyatta and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Tokyo.

Toyota Tsusho, which carried out a feasibility study on the building of an oil refinery from Lamu port through to Kampala and Kigali, also expressed interest in bidding for the project itself when it became available.

source:kbc