YOUR BUSINESS IS OUR BUSINESS: Energy: is it thermal, hydro or natural gas?

Not only are Kenya and Tanzania cheek by jowl in geographic location.

They also more or less have a common History, dating back to the end of the Great/First World War (WW-I: 1914-18) when Germany lost the war to the ‘Allies’ led by Britain. Germany had ‘owned’ Tanganyika as ‘Deutsch Ost-Afrika’ post-the 1884/85 Berlin Conference.

The newly-cobbled together League of Nations (1920-46) tossed Tanganyika into Britain’s lap as a mandated territory, from July 20, 1922 until April 18, 1946. That was when the League’s successor, the United Nations Organisation (UN), took over – and re-tossed Tanganyika into Britain’s lap, this time as a Trustee Territory…

From 1920, Kenya had been a British Crown Colony (the country’s interior lands) and Protectorate (the 10-mile coastal strip leased from the Zanzibar Sultanate).

So, in a sense, Kenya and Tanganyika were serving the same ‘colonial master, Great Britain – Kenya as a colony, while Tanzania was simply ‘entrusted’ to Britain by the UN!

Kenya and Tanganyika were members of the East African High Commission (1948-61); the EA Common Services Organisation (1961-67); the first EA Community (1967-77); EA Co-operation (1993-2000), and the second EA Community (2000–to-date).

In addition to that, Tanganyika had as early as in 1927 joined the Customs Union between Kenya and Uganda that was formed in 1917.

Judging by all the foregoing, one is sorely tempted to commend the two nations for being together in times of need, sharing common interests and challenges.

But, good things never seem to last long – let alone last forever!

Let’s look at one example which is developing along trajectories that are as alike as cheese is to chalk: electricity generation.

It’s generally acknowledged that adequate, reliable and readily affordable power supplies are pivotal to meaningful industrialization – and, therefore, sustainable all-inclusive socio-economic development.

But, where Kenya and Tanzania differ here is in power generation methodologies. While Kenya has plumped for thermal power, Tanzania is sticking to hydropower!

This December, both countries launched construction projects for major power plants – but each in their chosen field.

Generally acknowledged as Africa’s largest geothermal energy producer, Kenya went on to increase its geothermal capacity. President Uhuru Kenyatta presided over the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of its 83MW Olkaria-1 unit-6 geothermal power plant, to become operational in 2021.

Construction of the 165MW Olkaria-V commences in July 2019… Etc., etc.

Kenya (676MG in January 2018) is ninth out of the world’s ten top thermal power generating nations, led by the US (3,591MW) – and beating Japan, at 542MW!

Perhaps not to be outdone, Tanzania President John Magufuli also witnessed the inking of agreements for the construction of East Africa’s largest hydroelectric project, located at the controversial River Rufiji’s Stiegler’s Gorge in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Selous Game Reserve.

Apart from myriad vehement objections to the project by environmental activists and some development partners, the Magufuli government is implementing the project come Hell or High Water!

Talking of ‘water,’ pragmatists question the Stiegler’s hydro-project amid Climate Change developments and possible prolonged droughts that could dry up River Rufiji…

Besides, Tanzania boasts 57+ trillion cubic feet of natural gas, including rare helium. Why not ‘go nat-gas’ instead of hydropower in this day and age of devastating Climate Change, pray…?

Oh! I don’t know…

Mr Lyimo is a socio-economic commentator based in Dar