kenya engineer nov dec 2014

29.

Contents

06. News

15. Features

63. IEK

INTERVIEW

62. ESA

Turkana county hosts october NationalWater Summit.........................................................6Ryce and SDMO holds engineeringforum......................................................................7Kenya’s Chamasoft bags an award ........................10Kenyan authority approves thin sim card technology..............................................................11High Court bars power plant construction.............14

Engineer Albert Mugo shares 34 years ofengineering achievements in the powersector.....................................................................29

ESA holds its annual dinner...................................62

KENYA ENGINEER - Nov/Dec 2014 2

Vandalism turns power supply lines intodeathtraps...............................................................15Energy storage system............................................16Designing energy efficient instituitional buildings............................................19Creating unnecessary capacity................................25Training Somali engineers......................................38Safe guarding our resources...................................45Ensuring local content in the standard gauge railway...........................................50Engineers Board grapples with change...................56

7.

IEK Mombasa Branch visits Engineeringcompanies.............................................................63

63.

10.

6.

In a 2011 report titled “Towards Universal Energy Access by 2030. Dr. Morgan Bazilian of the Joint Institute for Strategy Energy Analysis concludes that “sub-Saharan Africa would need to

increase its installed electricity capacity by 33 times to reach the level of energy use enjoyed by South Africans—and 100 times to reach that of Americans” (See http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/news/presentations/bazilian.pdf ). This is because of the low Multi-Dimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI) of Sub-Saharan Africa countries. MEPI is based on five dimensions of energy deprivations,

namely, cooking, lighting, services from household appliances, entertainment/education and communications. The MEPI index for Kenya was 0.73 compared to 0.84 for Tanzania and 0.01 for Egypt in 2011 (Note that Nairobi City had a MEPI of 0.14 compared to the national average of 0.73 which means most of the Electrical energy is consumed in Nairobi).

So how is Kenya going to increase the installed capacity by say 5, 10, 15, or 33 times to achieve the energy use of South Africa? The government target is to achieve 5,000 MW by the year 2017, which is still an ambitious target. Moreover, what energy mix shall Kenya finally adopt? Will the additional electricity be affordable to the Kenyan households and local industry?

In this issue, Prof. Izael Da Silva and Mr. Ssekulima present “Energy efficient designs for institutional buildings”. They compare the energy consumption of two academic buildings at Makerere University and Strathmore University. They demonstrate that it is possible to achieve even 10 times reductions in electricity consumption with proper building designs. The other feature article by Hindpal S. Jabbal titled “A special report on the Kenya Power Sector” is a critical analysis of the Kenya’s power sector and the associated institutions. He suggests that there is a need for detailed analysis of the electricity supply and the energy mix in Kenya. This article will certainly make you think about the electricity energy policy of Kenya. We expect many comments from you, the readers. The interview of Eng. Albert Mugo, the Chief Executive of KenGen, the company that generates most of the electricity consumed in Kenya, identifies the challenges of rapidly increasing the installed electricity capacity of Kenya. In addition, Eng. Mugo does emphasize the need not only to increase the installed capacity but most important, increasing the demand for electricity. The large projects like the cement factories, iron smelting, and standard gauge railway could increase the demand because installed capacity that is not consumed increases the costs of electricity. The theme of the next issue (January - February 2015) of Kenya Engineer shall be manufacturing and industry. We invite feature articles from engineers in this area. We hope that you will enjoy this issue of Kenya Engineer and will appreciate your feedback via e-mail, twitter, or Facebook.

Meoli Kashorda, PhD, MIEEEEditorial Board Chairman, Kenya Engineer.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

The Definitive Publication of Engineers in East Africa & Beyond, since 1972

Copyright © 2014: Reproduction of any article in part or in full is strictly prohibited without written permission from the Institution of Engineers of Kenya. Disclaimer: To our readers, verify all the advertised courses with Engineers Board of Kenya.

Editorial Board:M Kashorda ChairpersonN O Booker Secretary M Kachiang’aA Muhalia A W OtsienoF W Ngokonyo J MutuliliJ N Kariuki M Majiwa S K Kibe

Managing EditorKevin AcholaAssociate EditorAyanna YonemuraEditorial AssistantMercy NduatiDesign & LayoutEzekiel AbukoSales & MarketingJoy ThuoJoyce NdamaiyuPhylis MuthoniTeresa Atieno

Published by:

P O Box 45754-00100 NairobiTel: +254 20 4443649/50/72

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Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Kenya Engineer Magazine

@KENYAENGINEER

Correspondence should be addressed to the publisher. Kenya Engineer is published every two months. Views expressed in this Journal are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the Institution.

Editor’s Note

3 KENYA ENGINEER - Nov/Dec 2014

Letters to the editor

We look forward to your feedback: [email protected]

KENYA ENGINEER -Nov/Dec 2014 4

I am a student at the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. I am in the final semester of the fifth year of study. Engineers Board of Kenya’s (EBK) refusal to accredit our programs continue to affect us negatively. Because of our discontent and frustrations, we held demonstrations in the week ending 4th October 2014. This resulted in the indefinite closure of TUM. We appeal to all stakeholders in the engineering sector to assist us to overcome our predicament. In the previous years we have had our colleagues graduate in Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) which TUM used to be a constituent college of. Now that TUM is a fully-fledged university, we no longer enjoy the recognition JKUAT had. Why does the government still allow admission into the programs while EBK disapproves of them? We continue to be in the dark even after the TUM administration recalled all other students except the third, fourth and fifth year engineering students, yet everyone participated in the strike. I request you to help us find justice on this issue. I know you can do something, which is why I reached out to you. We are the future Engineers. Awala Lazarus Asewe Mombasa

Dear Editor,

I wish to commend the entire editorial team for an impeccable job in the September/October 2014 issue of the Kenya Engineer. The articles were very informative and professional; touching on a myriad of issues surrounding the transport and infrastructure sector both presently in the near future. I particularly enjoyed the article on Eng. James Mwangi’s in which emphasis was laid on the importance of entrepreneurship among engineers. Other very interesting articles included that on LAPSSET, SGR and sustainable development of highways. I am pleased by the government’s commitment to infrastructural development in line with our Vision 2030 goals. The future can only be brighter for our country, Kenya. John ThirimaNairobi

The construction industry is currently dominated with Chinese contractors. Why can’t the National Construction Authority (NCA) implement the tendering requirement of 30 % local content in construction projects?

The re shou ld be co l l abora t ion in undertaking projects between Chinese and local contractors. Moreover, these Chinese fabricate or rather cast all the concrete products in their respective sites i.e. culverts, hollow pots, manhole covers...paving blocks name them. These finished products should be subject to some form of taxation.

Generius K imaruNairobi

Engineering training is rigorous. The reward is currently minimal in Kenya. This is due to the lack of investment in this noble profession. The degree of brain drain experienced in the country ascertains this. How can the government continue to let foreigners do most of the jobs? Let Kenya build capacity and scrutinize what it gives expatriates to undertake.

Abisai Daniel SuleNairobi

Kenya Engineer has had a great 2014 contributing to the robust growth of engineering in East Africa and beyond. Our aim has been to give readers the best news, interviews, and features on engineering. With your steadfast support, we have been doing that. We appreciate you, the reader. We would also like to thank everyone who has contributed to Kenya Engineer, past and present. We invite you to continue working with us. 2015 is going to bigger and better! Expect exciting features, insightful interviews, and timely news from the team here at Kenya Engineer.

Happy Holidays!

I am still wondering what technology the hands-free vehicles will be using. Meanwhile, will sound commands turn the vehicle faster than a steering wheel? And what about the turning momentum and

speed?

Kinyenze NiiNairobi

NEWS


Turkana County hosts October National Water Summit

Mount Kenya University (MKU), in partnership with Institute of Capacity Building and Nation

Media, hosted the National Water Summit on October 9-10, 2014, in Turkana County. Other partners include the Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, County Government of Turkana, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Equip Africa Institute and Kenya Water Institute.

The summit, themed “Water for Socio-Economic Development,” aimed to come up with strategies for harnessing groundwater in Turkana County. It will bring together key players in the global water sector to discuss sustainable groundwater development and management in vulnerable areas and strategies and policy recommendations for the local community’s exploitation and management of water resources.

Mount Kenya is the only university with a campus in Turkana County making it the lead organiser of the summit. The campus

seeks to empower the local community through knowledge to enable them harness the natural resources in their habitat.Turkana is the chosen location due to a series of droughts and water shortages there. MKU seeks to establish a water institute that will spearhead research in this vital sector.

The institute will train, research and give

As the East African region works towards integrating energy, the Kenya-Tanzania interconnection has

made a step forward with the completion of the feasibility test for power interconnection.

The Kenya-Tanzania interconnection project will involve the construction of

a total 507.5km of 400kV high voltage alternative current (HVAC) transmission line in double circuit. The transmission line will run from the Isinya substation in Kenya to Singida substation in Tanzania. The transfer capacity of the interconnector is designed for 2,400MW where 93.1km of the line is in Kenya, and the other 414.5km lay in

Tanzania. The associated substation works include the extension of the existing Isinya and Iringa substations to include 400kV transformers and the construction of a new 400kV substation in Arusha.

According to the study, over 200 persons will be involuntarily displaced in each country. “The affected properties and number of households in Kenya are 158 and 790 project affected persons (PAPs)confusing while in Tanzania, 253 households and 1265 persons will be affected,” states a report on the feasibility study seen by Kenya Engineer. The report goes on to state, “A full Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) has however been prepared.”

Due to the technical nature of the network construction and operation, the line requires a right-of-way (ROW) varying from 70m to 90m. Between Namanga and Arusha, the 400kV line will run parallel to the existing 33kV line.Kenya is also working on a power interconnection with Ethiopia. This will see Kenya import 2000MW from Ethiopia’s mega dam, Reinsurance Dam.

Kenya and Tanzania complete power interconnection study

Kipevu 2 and 3 thermal power plants at the Kenyan coast

capacity to people in the water management sector.Last year, UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme held a high-level meeting on water security and co-operation in Nairobi. MKU summit is an extension of this meeting.

In 2013, scientists discovered huge aquifers in Turkana County.

MKU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Stanley Waudo addresses delegates during the official opening of the National Water Summit, 2014 at Kristine’s Camp, (Photo Courtersy of Lake Turkana National Water Summit.)

NEWS


Ryce Engineering together with SDMO held a seminar with engineers on September 19, 2014, at the Southern Sun Mayfair, in Nairobi. The main

objective of the seminar was to enlighten consultant electrical engineers and engineering companies on the importance of power generators as an alternative to power generation.

Based in Brest, France, SDMO is one of the designers and manufacturers of energy generating sets worldwide and plans to open a new office in Nairobi next year.

“Ryce Engineering was established fifty years ago and deals with global brands such as SDMO generators and Daihatsu engine. We design, supply and commission stationery generators set (3kVA to 3,000kVA) suitable to meet the needs of the customers while maximizing efficiency with most cost effective configurations,” said Mr V. Balakrishnan, General Manager, Ryce Engineering.

“We also offer vital operational and maintenance services to ensure that there is minimal break down at any of the installed sites. We have in place skilled service technicians in various parts of Kenya who respond to emergency situations at site installations in a short period of time,” he added.In relation to the installation and maintenance of their generators, Jean- Charles Ascoët, SDMO France representative, said that the generator supports the widest power palette on the market and offers continuous backup power solutions from 1 kW to several megawatts.

The power generating sets and electricity production plants are geared for diverse consumers. Private users are directed towards portable or domestic power generators from the portable power range while building tradespeople and professionals will find suitable products in the professional portable power range as well as electric pumps and welding sets.

“I wish to challenge all architects to consider putting up adequate space with enough ventilation for generators’ site while constructing buildings or apartments. These generators are environmentally friendly and energy saving both to the residents and at work places. too,” said Johnson Rutere, the Technical Manager for Ryce Engineering.

Ryce East Africa, a pioneer member of the Sameer Group, is located along Kampala Road, off Enterprise road in industrial Area, Nairobi. Ryce is also the main dealer for General Motors products including Isuzu, Chevrolet and Opel.

Ryce and SDMO hold engineering forum

Mr. Jean-Charles Ascoët (left), SDMO representative (France) and Mr. Stephane Nedelec (center), SDMO representative (France) explains how a generator control panel works to Mr. V. Balakrishnan (right), General Manager; Ryce Engineering

NEWS


In September, Kenya’s Chamasof t scooped up the 2014 African Technology Innovation award in the Evernote Platform

Awards held at iHub center along Ngong road.A panel o f judges a t the Evernote Headquarters in Silicon Valley, California, chose Chamasoft as the winner. Evernote Platform Awards are in partnership with the African Technology Foundation and celebrate the best software applications which connect with Evernote.Chamasoft, a premium investment financial management software, enables group administrators to computerize and monitor their financial records. It stores information on all of the group’s contributions, expenditures and income.

Kenya’s Chamasoft bags an award Nuclear energy awaits parliamentary committee approval

The Kenyan government plans to adopt nuclear energy and add it to the national grid. Though the

project has faced a myriad of hurdles, the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board (KNEB), which develops the country’s nuclear energy, is positive about establishing a nuclear plant by 2022.Speaking to Kenya Engineer in August 2014, a KNEB official confirmed that the feasibility study on the nuclear project is complete and waits to be tabled before the parliamentary energy committee.In July 2014, Kenyan trainees completed the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) training programme at Texas A&M University. IAEA worked on the pre-feasibility study with KNEB.

By October 2014, China plans to launch an operating system which will compete with established systems

such as Microsoft’s Windows and Google’s mobile operating system, Android. The Chinese operating system will first appear on desktop devices, then on the smartphones and, lastly, on mobile devices.

In May 2014, the Central Government Procurement Center issued a ban on

China launches new operating system

installing Windows 8 on Chinese government computers, and the new operating system is intended to reduce dependence on foreign technological expertise.

In April 2014, Microsoft put an end to security updates and technical support for Windows XP in China despite that Windows XP is widely used in China. Windows XP is a compatible operating system for personal and desktop computers, and it took the

Nuclear plant

Chinese government a long time to ban it.Meanwhile, in January 2014, the Institute of Software at the Chinese Academy of Sciences together with Shanghai Liantong Network Communications Technology launched the new China Operating System a Linux-based operating system designed especially for mobile devices. This still doesn’t make China independent, because it relies on Linux through its user interface and system services.

Speaking to Kenya Engineer, Chamasoft Product Manager, Edwin Njoroge explained how to access the software, “ . . . the group administrator has to have a username and password to register the group members. This software comes with a summarized dashboard for group Chama.”“It enables group members to view group statements, penalties, loans and all other financials pertaining to the members and the group on a dashboard. The software is available on our online portal and an Android application is underway for Smartphone users,” he added.Chamasoft is a product of Digital Vision East Africa and they plan to present their product during the upcoming Evernote Conference in San Francisco.

Edwin Njoroge(left), Chamasoft product manager, Martin Njuguna (center), CEO Digital Vision EastAfrica and Lilian Kiplagat (right), from Chase Bank at Pivot East Africa Award Ceremony


The Kenyan government will go ahead with its plans to build an export pipeline as the Ministry of

Energy estimates that Kenya’s oil resources will almost double to 1 billion barrels as drilling increases across the country. Tullow Oil and Africa Oil Corporation have discovered an estimate 600 million barrels of oil in the South Lokichar Basin since announcing the country’s first crude find in March 2012. The discovery has spurred the East African nation to accelerate infrastructure growth plans, including construction of an oil pipeline that will link Uganda to a planned port in the Kenyan coastal town of Lamu.Meanwhile, Barakat Exploration has filed a law suit against Taipan Resources at the Nairobi High Court. Barakat accuses the firm of faulting to pay consultation fees in relation to a Kenyan oil exploration deal.Taipan Resources was to pay for services offered by Barakat Exploration firm after negotiating a KES 500 million product sharing deal on oil exploration with the government. Later on, Taipan Resources merged with Lion Petroleum and the two shared the exploration cost oil blocks, 1 and 2B, equally.Barakat alleges that it carried out its agreed duties, but Taipan Resources failed to pay Barakat the KES 50 million for services rendered. The ruling is set for October 1, 2014.

Kenya’s oil resource doubles

with drilling

Safaricom plans to review legal terms in regard to migrating M-PESA customers who opt to use the paper-thin overlay

SIM card technology. This comes after Equity Bank attained approval for a one year trial period to use the overlay thin SIM card for mobile phone services. Safaricom’s review of the legal commitments will address legal exposures that could emerge from use of the SIM overlay technology in relation to mobile banking activities.

According to the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) and the Central Bank of Kenya, the use of this technology will remain under strict observation and, if any malice is reported, the system will be terminated during the trial period. The CAK has approved Taisy’s SIM cards. Taisy is the Taiwanese firm which Equity, through its Mobile Virtual Network Provider Finserve Africa, has contracted to operate in the Kenyan market.

In addition, the CAK has begun the hiring process for an internationally reputable firm to conduct a security inspection on all SIM cards and, particularly, on the use of thin SIM cards for mobile transfer activities.

Kenyan authority approves thin SIM card technology

This inspection will ensure that there is a framework for regulating the use of thin SIM cards.

How the thin SIM card operatesTechnology, opposed by Safaricom over data security concerns, makes it possible to place a thin SIM card on top of a primary standard one. If one types a PIN or other code for the primary card, the thin SIM is capable of detecting that code.When merged with the primary card, a thin SIM card turns your phone into a dual SIM. You can answer calls whether they come through the thin SIM (Equity) line or another network.

This technology means Equity customers will not need to migrate to the bank’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) by getting new SIM cards or be forced to purchase dual SIM phones. Equity Bank won a MVNO licence in April 2014.

The SIM cards will be available for free—a tactical move that analysts say could accelerate its penetration into the market.

Equity Bank has already started distributing 300,000 cards to retailers.

NEWS

An American oil and gas exploration firm, Camac Energy, is set to begin an extensive seismic survey in search of oil deposits in Kenya.Speaking during a sensitization forum on September 10, 2014, Garissa County Governor, Nathif Juma, urged the firm to be mindful of the environment as improperly conducted oil explorations may cause

Oil search intensifies in Kenyacatastrophic environmental degradation.

The National Oil Corporation of Kenya estimates that the Lamu Basin holds 900 million barrels of oil reserve. Camac Energy’s four oil blocks cover a total surface area of about 37,000 square kilometers. Two of the four blocks, L27 and L28, are located 3,000 meters deep in the Indian Ocean. Camac

Energy has another block in Mandera Basin.

Along with other companies, Camac is conducting explorations in four basins: Lamu, Anza, Tertiary Rift and Mandera. Tullow Oil is conducting onshore drilling in Northern Kenya. In 2012, Tullow Oil did a feasibility study on oil discovery in Northern Kenya.

Thin SIM card


Pressuretransducer

Pressuretransducer

Pump

UltrasonicFlowmeter

Currentmeasurement Data logger with

voltage and pressuremeasurement

How do we obtain the right data for a Pump Audit?An example for a single pump installation

-Power consumption P1 is continuously monitored and recorded using current and voltage monitoring device-pump output �ow Q and pressure H is continuously measured and hydraulic power PH generated is calculatedThe data logger continuously calculates variation an load and e�ciency PH/P1Data collected is used to select a more e�cient solution and calculate potential savings in money terms as wellKwh saved

Voltagemeasurement

P =Q x H x g x p/ 3600H

An important value statement from Grundfos is being a responsible company. We are continuously striving after this

in many ways.

All pumps users in Kenya are faced with high energy bills which increase running costs for water utilities and industries. As Grundfos we are today dedicating a lot of resources in assisting our customers reduce their power consumption. We do this by supplying low energy consumption products. This however does not resolve the problem of high energy consumption in existing/old installations. A solution for this is an energy audit that analyses the performance and efficiency of the system and is able to give accurate information for decision making. The audit tries to establish the total cost of ownership over a certain period, typically 10 years.

WHY FOCUS ON COST OF OWNERSHIPCost of ownership includes not only pump costs but also all operating and maintenance costs. It is therefore a more useful tool than just comparing pump prices. When measuring the cost of ownership, quite interesting results will often appear which tell the owner where to concentrate his efforts in order to reduce the total costs. Thames Water in the UK is one of the world’s largest water supply companies. Measurements from this company have shown that the price of the pump only constitutes 5% of the total life cycle costs of the pump. Maintenance is 10% and the rest, 85%, comes from operating costs mostly in the form of energy bills.The fact that such a large proportion of

PUMP AUDITS AND WHY WE DO

Antony Wachira is the Kenya country sales representative for Grundfos, a leading

manufacturer of pumps

a pump installation costs is from power consumption means that savings in this area will give a significant reduction in the cost of ownership of the installation. The conclusion therefore, is that it is necessary to look at other factors than the purchase price when a new pump is to be bought. It has consequently become a trend for water utility companies and industrial users to focus on cost of ownership for the individual pump or installation and compare with alternative solutions.

We have developed a tool called Pump Audit to help our customers to make the right decisions when it comes to replacing or upgrading pumps and controls.

HOW IS THE PUMP AUDIT DONE? A pump audit is an Energy Audit done specifically on pumps and pumping systems. Pump Audits are carried out at your site. You will need to prepare a place for affixing the suction and delivery pressure sensors. The measurement kit is connected to your installations by a skilled Grundfos service technician typically for one to three weeks. We set up the equipment to measure four values that can be used to compare energy consumption vs water supply and pressure and hence determine the efficiency of the system. These four values are (1) Flow (2) Pressure (3) Voltage and (4) current. The measured data is transmitted to a data logger that

records the information in real time. Depending on the type of application, data logging duration may be 1-3 weeks. For applications where the demand is varying (such as a hotel or irrigation application) a minimum 1 week logged data is required. Water utility applications involving transfer of water from one storage point to another may only require a short duration to give performance. Logged data is the most valuable result of the audit.

After this, the logged data is downloaded as an excel file that can be analysed. The logged data will show the actual power consumption and performance by the installed pump. We will afterward perform an analysis of data, generate a load profile showing how demand and efficiency vary. Software tools are then used to apply a similar load to a selected high efficiency pump.

A system comparison is then made comparing the additional cost of investing in new pump vs the cost of retaining the older pump and continuing to pay high energy and operational costs.

AN UPGRADE THAT PAYS FOR ITSELFResults of a pump audit are shown in a comprehensive report showing our recommendations and expected savings for you. The results can easily be summarised in a graph as shown below showing the cumulative costs

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comparison and if the cross-over point is sufficiently short then investment to improve the system is deemed worthwhile.

Other likely outcomes of a pump audit may be to modify existing pump performance by addition of a variable speed or trimming of impellers to reduce energy consumption.

The final report also takes into consideration most additional costs such as the price of the new pumps, Installation, commissioning and maintenance costs. The payback time is to many of our customers surprisingly short.

Often 2-3 years but extremes have shown pay back down to a few months. In the Pump Audit tool we seek to combine the forecast of energy savings and investments in pumps. Experiences so far are extremely good and customers are in general very enthusiastic about getting the real picture of what old and wrong sized pump do to the operation cost.

OTHER POSITIVE EFFECTSNew pump solutions mean reduced downtime. The most important choice criteria for products used in industrial applications is reliability of the pump to secure stable operation. A new pump will most likely perform better also in terms of less service needs and less breakdown time.

Using solutions that reduce energy consumption can be seen as an advantage in profiling your company. Pump audits can help companies “go green”- an increasingly powerful image booster and driver in business.

Grundfos has a large number of different products in our product portfolio. We base our proposed solutions on actual measurements from an audit of your pump system and not a standard load profile that covers similar applications hence the resulting solution is one that matches the users requirements as close as possible, no less no more.

Remember, energy is expensive, efficiency is not.

For more information visit www.grundfos.com

Advertorial

14 KENYA ENGINEER - November/ December 2014

NEWS

High Court bars power plant construction

billion tender to construct a 1000MW coal power plant in Lamu. This Court made this decision following a petition issued by one the bidders that the bidding process had

The Nairobi High Court has blocked the Kenyan government f rom entering into agreement with Gulf

Energy, Centum consortium for a KES 174

irregularities.

The appl icant , Hebei Construct ion Investment Group (HCIG), wants the Energy and Petroleum Ministry and its PS stopped from further processing the September 2014 award until its petition has been heard and determined.

The coal power plant tender, which is part of the Lamu Port South Sudan and Ethiopia Transport Corridor (Lapsset) Project, was termed as irregular and unfair to the bidders who had qualified in the initial stage of the process.

The Lamu coal power plant is central to attaining the country’s objective to increasing generation capacity and significantly reducing the cost of power. It will be the largest power generating plant in East, Central and Southern and is intended to account for 55% of Kenya’s power production.

Nairobi Law Court

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PREDICTABLE POWERPOWER UP WITH THE RIGHT GENERATOR


Vandalism turns power supply lines into deathtraps

Zax Ogudas’ first stay in Nairobi was in Mathare slums. Initially he stayed in the up-country, there, he always

expected two important visitors at the end of the month. The property owner, collecting rent and the electricity meter reader. The first week of his stay in Nairobi was almost over yet he had never seen the KPLC meter reader. This prompted him to enquire from his host when the KPLC agents would be visiting. ‘The person who has just left with a black coat is our power agent. He charges a flat rate of KES 250 for everyone connected to ‘his’ electricity line,’ he responded.

Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) loses close to KES 400 million every year due to electricity theft, a norm that sometimes contributes to the cases of electrocution and slum fires,’ this is according to the manager of meter installation and fraud control Mr. Thagichu Kiiru. ‘We intend to identify illegal connections to our grid, tampered metering equipment and dangerous installations and suspects will be arraigned in court to face charges,’ he said. That was in January this year, nine months later and the problem persist.

Power vandalism is associated with the poor people; the slum areas make the larger percentage of the areas where this

illegal activity thrives. However, the main architects are large residential, commercial and industrial consumers who avoid paying their fair share of electricity. Often they collude with meter readers, current or ex- KPLC employees, or third parties.

Kenya Power and Lighting Company last October had plans to spend a sum of KES 156 billion in the next five years to expand its electricity distribution network to keep up with the growing demand. KETRACO (Kenya Electricity Transmission Company) is spending billions of shillings in high voltage lines to move power from the generation plants to KPLC for onward distribution to users. A reduction in system losses has the potential to create additional power, reducing the need to spend larger amounts in generating more power.

Not only do electricity vandals risk their own lives and the lives of those nearby, they sap revenue from KPLC. This revenue could be used to provide electricity to poor individuals. High electric losses cripple the utility’s ability to properly invest in its system and provide a stable service. Illegal connections not only pose significant safety issues, they prevent the utility from having the accurate view necessary to plan and maintain the network. Outages become a

way of life and power vulnerability puts a drag on economic development.Theft is a time consuming, inefficient and expensive process. Escalating cases of transformer vandalism has prompted KPLC to initiate the process of replacing conventional transformers in vandalism prone areas with a new type that does not use oil.

In his report ‘combating vandalism in utilities’ presented to the 13th Annual Africa Utility week Conference, Cape Town, South Africa in May 2013, Eng. Benson Muriithi, Chief Manager Distribution-KPLC: He presented lots of remedies to reduce the rate of vandalism. These include the installation of dry transformers. Muriithi also suggested welding transformer units’ base on Channels, change from 3 phases to single-phase units, installing units above High voltage lines among the remedies.

In 2011, Kenya Power said it was considering constructing a transformer manufacturing plant in the country to match the demand for the equipment. Since the government rolled out plans to connect rural areas to the national grid to spur economic growth, demand for transformers has shot up in recent years.

Cases of vandalism have also put pressure on Kenya Power to find reliable repair services to offset the huge costs and lengthy periods required to source for new transformers from the overseas. In late September, KPLC was seeking a contractor to repair 6,808 faulty electricity transformers to help meet growing consumer demand. In addition to these noble incentives, KPLC has begun installing intruder alarm systems on its power equipments on a pilot basis. They also mount transformers high up on the voltage lines to discourage vandals and relocate regularly vandalized transformers to safer areas. Institutions around the globe are increasingly combating the problem of vandalism by the use of smart meters that can continuously record consumption and send the data back to the main centers.

Power vandalism like what Zax experienced is a significant economic issue. It is pervasive throughout the country and continues to be of significant concern.

NEWS

A vandalised power line along Tom Mboya street, Nairobi

Energy storagesystems

An important characteristic of electrical energy is that it cannot be stored directly. Thus, the supply of electricity must be balanced continuously with demand . The constant

balancing of supply and demand has significant operational and cost implications. For example, sufficient generating capacity needs to exist to supply the highest level of demand, even though the last increment of capacity will only be needed infrequently and for short periods. Also, the inability to directly store electricity requires that reserve generating capacity, either in the form of spinning or non-spinning reserved to maintain load in case of unplanned loss of supply or unplanned failure of generators

While it is not possible to store energy in the form of electricity, it is possible to convert electrical energy to another form that can be stored. The stored energy then can be converted back to electricity when it is desired. There are wide varieties of possible forms in which the energy can be stored. Common examples include chemical energy (batteries), kinetic energy (flywheels or compressed air), gravitational potential energy (pumped hydroelectric), and energy in the form of electrical (capacitors) and magnetic fields. From the standpoint of the electrical system, these energy storage methods act as loads while energy is being stored (e.g. while charging a battery) and sources of electricity when the energy is returned to the system (e.g. while discharging a battery).

Several primary drivers have increased interest in energy storage. These include; the increase in peak demand and the need to quickly and efficiently respond to changes in demand given constraints on generation and transmission capacity; the need to integrate distributed and intermittent renewable energy resources into the electricity supply system; the increasing level of congestion in transmission and distribution systems. Other drivers are the role that storage can play in providing ancillary services critical to the efficient and reliable operation of the grid, and finally the increasing need for high quality, reliable power because of increased use of consumer power electronics and information and communication systems that are highly sensitive to power fluctuations.

Electricity storage can be deployed to any of the five major subsystems in the electric power system: generation, transmission, substations, distribution, and final consumers. Generators may use traditional fossil fuel resources (diesel), or renewables (such as

hydro, wind, or solar). Storage may play a role at the generator level by providing additional energy when generators are operating at capacity and by storing energy when excess low-cost generating capacity is available. Transmission systems transport electricity at high voltages and often over long distances to utility substations. Storage may play a role at the transmission level by providing additional energy at the receiving end of a congested line and thus alleviating congestion. Step down transformers at utility substations reduce the voltage and transfer the electricity to distribution lines. Storage can play a role at the transformer level by storing energy when the transformer is not operating at capacity and providing energy when needs of the distribution system exceed the transformer capacity. Storage can play a role at the consumer level by allowing the consumer to store energy when excess capacity (or low cost electricity) is available and using the stored energy for consumer end uses when capacity is limited

There are six potential benefits of incorporating bulk energy storage systems into the electric system. These include; enabling time-shift of energy delivery to facilitate the balancing of electricity supply and load at reduced cost, supplying capacity credit to delay investments in generating capacity, providing grid operational support to facilitate smooth, coordinated operation of the components of the electricity supply system. The other three are providing transmission and distribution support to delay investments to upgrade components of the transmission and distribution system, maintaining power quality and reliability by providing energy to the system with very short response times, and finally allowing integration of intermittent renewable into the generation mix by smoothing their energy output over time

In low voltage applications, we have several technologies that can be applied to suit different requirement. Note combination of this technologies will bring a combination of factors solved collectively this technologies include chemical e.g. batteries and Kinetic e.g. flywheel.As we go deeper in this type of technologies, it is important to discuss factors that lead to adoption of one or combination of the above technologies.

Response time duration of dischargeResponse time is how quickly a storage technology can be brought online and discharge energy. Discharge duration is how long a storage device can maintain output. For the most part, technology suitability

Electrical Energy


Ephantus Irungu Mwangi

Battery energy storage system with an inverter

He has over 5 years working experience in electrical installations, solar installations, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and battery

back-up solutions. He is a PV Engineer at Plexus Energy Ltd. He has a Diploma from Railway Training Institute and is registered by EnergyRegulatory Commission.

Electrical Energy


connected to the rotor to store energy. To discharge, the kinetic energy is converted back to electricity by allowing the momentum to power the motor-generator.

The rotor is the most important component of flywheel construction. For example, the rotor mass (diameter and material) affects the energy capacity. The bearings and casing are designed primarily to reduce friction (energy released as heat) that reduces efficiency and shortens life expectancy. The motor-generator and power electronics characteristics determine the maximum power of flywheel storage systems. An important characteristic of flywheel systems is that power and energy capacities are relatively independent from each other. This permits FES devises, much like flow batteries, energy and power capacity to be optimized for specific applications

Although flywheel storage systems are able to provide up to an hour of stored energy, they are generally considered short discharge duration technologies. FES systems’ defining feature is their instantaneous response time, which makes them a common choice for uninterruptible power supply and power quality application because flywheels are generally considered a short duration technology; cost per kWh is very high, while cost per kW is relatively lower.

A combination of flywheel and battery technologies will see delivery of high energy density at the lowest cost

to perform a specific application will depend on rated power and discharge duration. However, for some applications, such as emergency spinning reserve, response time is also crucial

Depth of discharge, frequency of discharge, and efficiencyDepth of discharge refers to the percentage of power discharged relative to full capacity before the storage is recharged. Some technologies are sensitive to depth of discharge. Deep discharge of some electrochemical batteries reduces their life expectancy and may cause physical damage to the battery’s cells. Other technologies operate best under full or 100 percent depth of discharge. Frequency of discharge refers to how often power will be discharged from a storage technology. Some applications only require infrequent discharge and other are cycled continuously. Efficiency is determined by the input to output energy ratio. For most energy storage technologies, energy is lost in the process of being stored and discharged. Energy may also be lost while the device is not in use, and these losses are called standby losses. Standby losses are a measure of efficiency that compares how much of energy used to charge a storage device is lost before discharge. Efficiency can be affected by ambient conditions such as temperature. Some technologies require ancillary devices, which require power, to connect them to the grid. These “parasitic” loads reduce efficiency much like standby losses.

BatteriesBatteries are the most mature electrochemical energy storage system. Despite low specific energy and power, short cycle life, high maintenance requirements, and toxicity, batteries persist as a popular choice for energy storage systems because of their low cost and technical maturity. Additionally, batteries contain toxic materials that pose environmental and safety hazards. In part due to regulation, batteries are one of the most recycled products. Regulations typically apply a fee when the battery is purchased which can be used to cover environmental consequences. There are different types of batteries based on the medium of construction: lead acid, nickel cadmium. Lead acid batteries are considered attractive because of technological maturity and availability as well as low relative cost. Like lead acid batteries, Nickel cadmium batteries are the most common nickel electrode battery in the utility energy storage industry. Although more costly than lead acid batteries, the relative low cost, high energy density, high power delivery capabilities, hardiness, reliability, and life expectancy of nickel cadmium batteries makes them a popular choice for telecom batteries and bulk storage.

FlywheelFlywheel energy storage (FES) converts electricity to rotational kinetic energy in the form of the momentum of a spinning mass. This spinning mass, termed a rotor, rests on bearings that facilitate its rotation. The rotor and bearings are contained in a sealed housing designed to reduce friction between the rotor and the surrounding environment and provide a safe guard against hazardous failure modes. Friction reducing fluids and a vacuum seal help remove possible sources of friction. To charge, electricity powers a motor-generator that spins a shaft

Co-author:

Designing energy efficient institutional buildings

The need for energy conservation deserves everyone’s attention. Many institutional buildings in East African countries do not incorporate energy efficiency at the design, construction, and

utilization stages. Energy efficiency in the built environment can make significant contributions to a sustainable energy economy. In order to achieve this, greater public awareness of the importance of energy efficiency is required. Institutions of higher learning are in a position to champion such initiatives. The main objective of this paper is to present the findings of a comparative study carried out to analyze the energy performance of green building envelopes and conventional ones and, then, to recommend models of building designs that can lead to reduced energy use in the construction, use and maintenance stages. In the short term, energy issues include demand side management such as consumers’ behavioural change, new efficient appliances, building technologies, legislation quantifying building plant performance and improved building regulations. With the building construction industry continuing to grow at a very fast rate, as evidenced by the 2005-2009 35.3% increase in cement consumption, it is imperative to consider energy efficiency from the design and construction of buildings to their utilization.

Building designA Management Science Building (Nairobi)Strathmore University’s Management Science Building’s (MSB) layout

and foundations utilized well-shaped stone with no exterior finish. The curtain walling has twelve mm clear glass. The windows are aluminium framed fitted with 6 mm clear glass. The entire floor is ceramic tile while the interior has a cement and plaster finish. The calculated thermal transmittance, U-value through the wall combination, is approximately 6.1Wm2K-1 providing good thermal storage. The window glass U-value is 6.25X10-3 Wm2K-1 while glass curtain walls’ is 0.0125 Wm2K-1.The MSB covers an area of approximately 734.546 square meters over four floors. The main building mass has a north-south orientation, presenting minimal direct solar radiation to the façade. The windows are made of aluminium frame and 6 mm clear glass. They are also inset and, thus, have shade from the building design and roof overhang. The building design has a maximum integration of day lighting. A nearby building shades the western façade while the eastern side has roof overhangs and inset windows, permitting minimal solar radiation. As a result, the students never suffer from glare.

Other key designs features are the extensive use of natural ventilation and a slab structure roof with polythene and tar coating.

Computer and Information Technology Building (Kampala) Makerere University’s Computer and Information Technology (CIT) building consists of 200 x 400 x 200 mm concrete blocks with 25

Management Science Building at Strathmore University

Dr. Izael Da Silva holds a Ph.D. in Power Systems Engineering from the University of Sao Paulo, andPrincipal author:

is the director of CREEC (Centre for Research in Energy and Energy Conservation) in Uganda.He is also the coordinator of the MSc RenewableEnergy Program which is supported by the Norwegian government and Makerere University.

Edward Baleke Ssekulima holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Makerere University. Heis completing his MSc in Renewable Energy and specializing in energy efficiency in the builtenvironment, and he works as an Energy Officer at Uganda’s Ministry of Energy and MineralDevelopment.

Energy Efficiency


Energy Efficiency

x 150 x 75 mm clay face bricks finishing. Tinted and clear glassare incorporated in the curtain walling the interior of which has cement-plaster finishing. The lecture room floor is PVC tiles while the corridors are with of terrazzo flooring. The calculated thermal transmittance, U-value, through the wall combination is approximately 1.7 Wm2K-1, which ensures that minimal heat gets to the building interior. The window glass U-value is 3.125X10-3 Wm2K-1 while the tinted glass curtain walls is 2.125X10-3 Wm2K-1. The CIT is a vast building with six floors. The building has a north-south orientation with the entrance canopy facing south. Clay-brick finish and glass make up the façade. The building mass is in square form with no void opening the result of which is uncomfortable lecture rooms. The building uses extensive air conditioning for the computer laboratories and server rooms. Most of the glass on the façade is blue tinted leading to extensive use of artificial lighting. Students complain of excessive heat from noon till evening, because the glass eastern and western facades transmit a lot of heat. Also, natural ventilation is limited to the window openings, thus the building interior has limited air circulation. The CIT roof is a pitched structure made of clay tiles that have excellent thermal properties.

Energy sources & consumption The MSB’s main energy source is electricity from the national grid and a back-up generator. The MSB’s peak load during the research-recording period was about 8.5kW as is depicted in the MSB load profile graph for a typical weekday. This is because of the integration of extensive day lighting. The major loads are the server and computers which are in each lecture room. The estimated annual energy cost is at 85MWh.

The CIT faculty operates almost 24 hours daily 7 days a week and the biggest loads are lighting and computer. Lights in all computer laboratories, corridors and most lecture rooms operate for 24 hours. The CIT load profile graph shows a typical load profile for the building on a typical weekday. The estimated annual energy consumption is 880MWhrs. Building management system (BMS)The CIT building does not have any BMS integrated into it, therefore, all resource utilization is manual and user controlled. This has led to wastage of resources due to, for example, having the corridor lights on even when not necessary. On the other hand, BMS is integrated into the MSB to control the resource utilization. The BMS used bases on SNAP PAC System Architecture with OPTO-SNAP controllers. User defined control programming defines the functioning of the various components such as motion detectors, power cards and lighting control.

DiscussionImportantly, the CIT building has more floors and covers a much bigger area than the MSB. Nonetheless, even if they were to have the same design features, the CIT building would still consume much more power than the MSB. However, the CIT’s lack of some key energy efficient envelope design

features aggravates its energy problem.

The MSB utilizes 4ft-25W electronic ballast fluorescent tube lighting and saves approximately 80% lighting energy due to daylight integration into the design and the use of electronic lighting controls such as motion detectors and power cards linked to the BMS. The CIT utilizes 32W magnetic ballast fluorescent tube fixtures that run almost 24 hours a day, consuming a lot of energy. The MSB has mechanisms for rainwater harvesting and pumping to various water taps which meeting all of the water needs. As a way of enhancing proper waste management, an incinerator burns the non-recyclable waste and provides heat energy when required. On the other hand, CIT has water storage tanks at its top which don’t utilize rainwater.

Computer and Information Technology Building in Makerere University


Artificial ventilation should be at the top of CIT to produce a stack effect to improve air circulation and enhance student thermal comfort. Daylight features should also be included in spaces close to corridors to reduce the use of artificial lighting.

Recommended codes of practiceConsiderations for building orientation include sun exposure, wind speed and direction, noise, pollution and the building’s shape. In East Africa, building orientation can greatly impact lighting and cooling costs. Depending on the building orientation, the three main aspects are daylight, solar gains, and shading. Computer modeling techniques suchas ECOTECT allow tracing the sun’s path through the sky for each day of the year.

Proper orientation of buildings will reduce solar heat gain in the interior. Orientation towards wind breezes will enhance natural and cross ventilation. However, there is a risk of increased infiltration.

The building construction and materials used must have acceptable U values. These U-values could be achieved through insulation optimization where need arises. Heat and moisture movement within the building fabric is localized. The building must be airtight and thermally mass effective to reduce need for heating during cold months. Glazing area and glass performance should be optimum. Low E glass use avoids buildings behaving like greenhouses. Shading should also be implemented for solar control performance and windows should be large enough and located in positions where there is no direct solar radiation.

Buildings in East Africa rarely require any heating. Therefore, attention should be paid to the air conditioning systems. Building design features should ensure that little heat gets into the building to avoid big cooling loads. Extensive use of cross-ventilation and use of Perspex roofing with vents that can create a stack effect to maximise air circulation will greatly reduce the cooling load. An analysis must be made to design a cooling system for the hottest day scenario. Use of other techniques such as evaporative cooling in less humid areas can cost less than using vast air conditioners. Infiltration within the building should also be avoided for more efficient air conditioning utilization where they are used.

Daylight, for psychological reasons and especially in educational buildings, is very important. During the design of institutional buildings, natural daylight should meet the lighting requirements for daytime. As a standard, for a maximum depth of about 6 m from the façade in rooms, daylight should suffice, provided the façade is glazed for about 50% of its wall area.

Conclusion Energy efficient building design is the result of applying one or more isolated technologies and an integrated whole-building process which requires the design team’s and top management’s advocacy and action throughout the entire project development process. The whole-building approach is easily worth the time and effort as it can save over 30% in energy costs over a conventional building.

Integrating energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable green design features into all new and existing institutional buildings should become a top priority for management and government. This will make buildings that require less resource utilization more environmentally friendly and comfortable. East Africa member countries need energy conservation laws and building codes of practice to achieve this. Further research will serve to develop a complete overall guide for the design of energy efficient institutional buildings in East Africa.

References[1] Building Research Board; “Building Diagnostics”: A Conceptual Framework by the National Research Council, U.S National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. 1985.[2] PewCenter on Climate Change: “ClimateTech Book.” [3] Taylor B.J., Imbabi M.S.: “The Building Envelope as an Air Filter”, Building and Environment.[4] UBOS, “Uganda Bureau of Statistics”, National Statistical Abstract Report, 2010.[5] TAREB: “Architectural Integration into buildings”, European Commission DG Tren Altener programme. Project no: 4.1030/C/02-101/2002.[6] Peter Burberry: “Environment and Services” Eigth Edition, September 1981.

Energy Efficiency

Creating unnecessary capacity A special report on Kenya’s power sector


Creating unnecessary capacity A special report on Kenya’s power sector

The power sector still suffers from an unreliable, poor quality supply and a high cost of electricity. This is despite that, from time to time, the Kenyan government has intervened directly

and or indirectly. The reasons for this unsatisfactory performance have very little to do with high load growth, inadequate generation capacity or even poor hydrology in the Tana Basin. To correct these and prevent future problems, Kenya must tackle institutional, implementation and other issues as well as indefinitely postpone a proposed thermal plant.

Electricity in relation to Primary Energy usage in KenyaIn Kenya, electricity generated from natural resources, such as hydro and geothermal, contributes only 8% towards the total primary energy used in the country. Petroleum products, all of which are imported, contribute another 20% (including 2% for power generation). These products mainly serve the transport and aviation sectors. Wood and charcoal, which are largely used for cooking and heating, provide the balance of 72% of total primary energy. (In rural and urban areas, more than 80% of the total population in Kenya half of whom live below the poverty line, use wood and charcoal for cooking.)

InstitutionalOver the past few years, the government has created a number of new institutions with overlapping functions and responsibilities all of which are controlled and, quite often, micro-managed by their parent ministries. This has not only resulted in gross inefficiencies and wastages of material and human resources, but it has also created a significant dent in the exchequer because of direct and indirect subsidies to the power sector which are often at the expense of pressing development issues in other sectors of the economy.

Least Cost Power Development Plans (LCPDPs)There is also a general lack of understanding about the basic parameters which govern a modern power sector’s planning and operations. The planning and operations should embrace such diverse resources as hydro, geothermal, wind, thermal, biomass, and, in future, coal, gas, solar, nuclear and interconnected hydro supply coming from Ethiopia and other neighbouring countries. As such, several players, all pushing their own agenda, have haphazardly prepared LCPDP’s on an ad hoc basis with no single entity taking full responsibility for the planning process. Furthermore, these

plans have been prepared based on false load growth assumptions. They set unrealistic target dates for project completion, and they do not take due cognisance of the appropriate generation mix and location of the plant.

Basic rules that govern least cost planning:

i. Load forecasting must be realistically prepared based on historic trends and economic growth predictions.ii. Peak demand (in MW) must be met with effective installed capacity and about 20% reserve margin.iii. The minimum hydro energy available in a critical drought year and adequate non-hydro plant must meet the annual energy demand (in GWh).iv. Least cost criteria must be used to determine the generation mix and setting of plants.v. The plan must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time bound).

Implementation recordOver the past twenty years or so, the sector’s record on project implementation has been very poor. Whether funded by donor agencies, the public sector, or the private sector (Independent Power Producers or IPP’s), projects are delayed by several years. This is mainly because of poor planning, inordinate delays in funding, protracted Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) negotiations, and lack of government guarantees against political risks, court cases, and other bureaucratic hurdles and procurement bottlenecks.

In fact, these delays have been the single major cause for the installation of 100 MW emergency plant during the three year critical drought of 1998, 1999 and 2000. Then again, another 150 MW emergency plant has been running on base load since 2006-2007 and, until recently, it has used very expensive diesel fuel.

Chart 1: Actual peak demand from 1998 to 2013

By Hindpal S. Jabbal

Hindpal S. Jabbal served as Chairman of theEnergy Regulatory Commission from 2007to 2011. He is also a founding member of theInstitution of Engineers of Kenya and becamethe Institution’s first treasurer in 1972.

Energy Special Report



10% load

25% load

MV DISTN. LINES (11&33kV)

9.0% Loss

TX: 11/220 EHV TRANS. LINES (220,400 kV)

HV SUB-TRANS. LINES (66&132kV)

LV NETWORK (415V)

TX: 220/132

TX: 132/33/11

Tx: 11/0.415

1.5% Loss

2.0% Loss

5.5% Loss

65% load

G

Total 18.0% Loss

It must be appreciated, however, that although the recent emergency plant cost energy consumers an additional UScts 1.0/kWh in fuel surcharge, Kenya’s demand for electricity was generally met, unlike that of our neighbours, with very little load shedding or power rationing even during the two year ‘severe drought’ of 2008-2009. Yes, Kenya experienced a few outages because of generation shortfalls but those were due to operational reasons. They were not due to lack of generation capacity.

Increased system faults and technical lossesOver the past four to five years, far too much attention has been paid to the increased connectivity of new consumers without corresponding attending to investment in maintenance and reinforcement of the existing distribution facilities, especially at low voltage (LV) and medium voltage (MV) levels (i.e. 415V, 11kV and 33kV network). This has resulted in increased system losses (both technical and non-technical) from 16% in FY 2009/10 to about 18.6% in 2012/13.

During the same three year period, 2009-2011, system faults (mainly on the LV network) have increased from about 6,000 to about 9,000 per month, and transformer failures have increased from about 200 to 300 per month. (Vandals caused including about one-third of these failures.) It is these high system losses, LV faults and transformer failures, not the lack of generation capacity or inadequate reserve margins on which so much emphasis is being unduly placed, which are the major cause of unreliable and poor quality of supply. Moreover, the stand-by or captive diesel plant will continue to serve the industry and large commercial enterprises unabated unless the distribution network and quality of service improves considerably and on a sustained basis.

Electricity tariff in KenyaDue to the reasons given above, it is generally believed, and quite rightly so, that the Kenyan electricity tariff is amongst the highest in the East African region. However, if the economic cost of load-shedding and direct government subsidies is added to the base tariff, then the overall economic cost of electricity in Kenya is the lowest in the region.

Chart 2: Transmission and distribution diagram

There is a somewhat misplaced perception that electricity represents a major cost both to domestic and industrial consumers. The truth of the matter is that an average domestic consumer spends no more than 3-4% of his or her total household income on electricity. Similarly, for an average industrial consumer, including a large number of manufacturers, expenditure on electricity is between 4-6% of total turnover as most of the raw material is imported. However, for the very large industries that are energy intensive and use local raw material, such as cement works, some paper mills and (in future) steel and metal industries, electricity cost can be as high as about 20%.Revised LCPDP (2013-2023) and the latest tariff reviewThe average annual GDP growth between 2003 and 2013 was about 5%, and the demand for electricity grew at about 5.6%. However, the revised Medium Term LCPDP (2012-2016), which formed the basis of the recent tariff approval by ERC, assumes a generous load growth of about 8.3%. As shown in the table below, this 8.3% includes demand created by those Vision 2030 flagship projects which can be realistically completed within the next ten years.

% Growth in Basic Demand 5% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6%Basic Demand (MW) 1,354 1,435 1,521 1,613 1,709 1,812 1,921 2,036 2,158 2,288 2,425 VISION “2030” FLAG-SHIP ICT Cities 10 30 40 60 80 100 120 150Lamu Port/Lapset 10 20 30 40 50 60 80 100Railways 10 20 30 40 60 80 100Mining Industries 20 40 60 70 80 90 100Other Industries 10 20 40 60 80 100 120 150 Total Demand (MW) 1,354 1,435 1,521 1,643 1,809 1,982 2,171 2,356 2,558 2,778 3,025 Ann. Energy at 0.68LF(GWh) 8,124 8,611 9,128 9,856 10,856 11,892 13,024 14,135 15,348 16,665 18,149

12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 22/23

Chart 3: Projected peak and annual energy demands


% Growth in Basic Demand 5% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6%Basic Demand (MW) 1,354 1,435 1,521 1,613 1,709 1,812 1,921 2,036 2,158 2,288 2,425 VISION “2030” FLAG-SHIP ICT Cities 10 30 40 60 80 100 120 150Lamu Port/Lapset 10 20 30 40 50 60 80 100Railways 10 20 30 40 60 80 100Mining Industries 20 40 60 70 80 90 100Other Industries 10 20 40 60 80 100 120 150 Total Demand (MW) 1,354 1,435 1,521 1,643 1,809 1,982 2,171 2,356 2,558 2,778 3,025 Ann. Energy at 0.68LF(GWh) 8,124 8,611 9,128 9,856 10,856 11,892 13,024 14,135 15,348 16,665 18,149

12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 22/23



Chart 4: Projected peak demand

Chart 5: Projected energy demand

The Plan also includes all generation projects which are already under construction or fully committed and awaiting financial closure. A tentative LCPDP for the next ten years is also illustrated graphically and shows how the new plant added over this period will meet peak demand in MW and annual energy demand in GWh by using different modes of generation.

The above generation programme will not only comfortably meet the demand for electricity, but it will also leave adequate reserve

margins for unforeseen contingencies. Within the next four years, the programme will reduce the overall tariff by at least UScts 3.0/kWh from the current level of UScts 18.0/kWh to about UScts 15.0/kWh as most of thermal generation will be displaced by geothermal and wind power sources which are now under construction.

The latest Investment Prospective (2013 to 2016) for a 5,000+ MW Plant The Ministry of Energy (MoE) launched the latest Investment


Chart 6: Comparative costs

Prospectus (covering 2013-2016) which is for installing 5,000+ MW generation capacities before 2017. In the prospective, the MoE proposes that approximately 1,500 MW will be from geothermal sources, 500 MW will be from wind, 2,000 MW will be coal-fired, and 1,000 MW will be from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant. While the system can comfortably absorb the proposed geothermal and wind plants over the next ten years, as shown in the above tentative LCPDP, the 2,000 MW coal-fired and 1,000 MW LNG plant cannot be justified on technical or economic grounds nor, due to lack of adequate demand, can the system absorb them.

Costing in the region of USD 5 billion, the above mentioned thermal plant of 3,000 MW capacity will, therefore, remain idle for several years. If installed prematurely, it will attract almost USD 600 million (or KES 50 billion) per annum in capacity charges which the state or consumers would have to absorb and which would result in an increased tariff by at least UScts 7.0/kWh to about UScts 22.0/kWh. Either way, this additional cost would be a huge financial burden to the country and would come without any improvement in the quality or security of supply or increase in economic growth.

It is, therefore, pertinent that the proposed 3,000 MW thermal plant using imported coal and LNG be deferred indefinitely. In an orderly manner, the sector must continue with the development of geothermal, wind and other renewable resources including interconnection with Ethiopia and other neighbouring countries.

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Eng. Albert Mugo Shares 34 years of engineering achievements in the power sector

Interview conductedBy Booker Ngesa and Kevin Achola

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Eng. Albert(left) shares his thoughts with Kevin Achola the Managing Editor, Kenya Engineer

Having triumphed in a competitive recruitment process, in January of 2014, Eng. Albert Mugo is now

the CEO of Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen). In 2008, Eng. Mugo joined KenGen as the business development and strategy director with the mandate to develop strategy for expansion. As such, he was involved in the development of business plans and implementing them particularly for the expansion of the power system. He took part in the implementation of the 120 MW Kipevu 3 Power Project, which was implemented in a record fourteen months. Another project of note is the 280 MW Olkaria 4 Power Plant, the construction of which started in 2012 while Eng. Mugo

was serving as the business development and strategy director. KenGen has already connected three of Olkaria 4 Power Plant’s four units to the national grid with the fourth unit to be connected in November 2014. Eng. Mugo is an electrical engineer who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical Engineering from the University of Nairobi in 1980. Kenya Pipeline Company recruited him from the University of Nairobi. There, he worked for a short while, one and half years, before moving to East African Power and lighting Company (EAPLC). At the East Africa Power and lighting Company, he worked as a graduate trainee engineer and thereafter the company absorbed him as a protection Engineer, giving him the

opportunity to work on power stations and distribution lines. At an early stage in his career, EAPLC posted him to the Seven Folk’s Scheme, the main dams from which Kenya gets its hydro electricity. He later rejoined the main office in Nairobi and continued doing the protection work he had started. With time, he moved to the planning department of the company that had then become the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC).When Eng. Mugo joined planning at KPLC, he was involved in planning for generation, transmission, and distribution expansion. He also had the opportunity to work with international financial agencies like the World Bank. He then got involved in implementing works like the transmission lines from Rabai to Kipevu. He also took part in preparing projects like the Olkaria 2 project. Besides Kenya, Eng. Mugo has also contributed to regional planning of projects in East Africa and with the Nile Basin Initiative, which comprises nine countries that share the Nile. In 2008, he left KPLC, at that time he was the power systems development manager, for KenGen.

Q: KenGen must be very busy with plans to meet the governments’ quest for 5000 MW by 2017. As the major power generator, what are the projects that KenGen has in place to achieve this ambitious goal and to stabilise the power generation in the country?

Interview



KenGens’ 280MW Olkaria Power Project in Naivasha (Courtesy of KenGen)

Interview

A: We have a lways depended on hydropower generation to power the country. Hydro used to generate up to 80% of the power consumed in Kenya. Looking at the weather patterns in the country, you discover you have a problem when you are dependent on hydro. What KenGen is doing is to move toward other more secure sources of power to balance the generation mix especially geothermal. The first geothermal plant we installed was in 1981, a small unit of 15 MW. Currently, we install units of 70 MW. Hydro contributes about 60% of the power mix as we speak yet in two to three years we see geothermal move to 50% with hydro moving to 30%, wind and the rest take the other 20%.

Q: What role, if any, will thermal plants play in the forecast that you have just shared? I do not see the significance of thermal plants. As geothermal gains significance, will we cease to use thermal plants? With the power purchase agreements already in place with specific firms, how will these agreements play out?A: To supplement hydro during bad weather, we have put up thermal plants. It is true, as you observe that geothermal plants are actively replacing them. These thermal plants will still give us security of supply when hydro generation is not doing very well. They will also act as back up supply. We also expect cheaper thermal plants to

come up such as coal power plants that are a lot cheaper than diesel. With respect to the coal plant that the government currently has in mind, they will start with importing coal. As you know, the government just gave a concession for the coal in Mui Basin. It will take a bit of time before we can use this coal at commercial levels. KenGen is actually considering developing a coal power plant close to the source of coal in Mwingi or the Mui Basin itself. These locations are not far from Nairobi where we have the greatest demand for power.

Q: Concerning divers i f icat ion and extending into new fields of business, does KenGen consider other businesses like engineering consultancy besides being a power generator?A: That is a great question Kevin. In fact, we are already doing some consultancy work. Because we have gained a lot of experience with KenGen’s producing geothermal power since 1981, we have been doing consultancy for geothermal power production for different countries and companies. Around 2007, we were doing consultancy work for Comoros. In 2011-2012, we did some work in Rwanda. We have also done some work in Sudan and, actually, still have a contract with them. Tanzania and Zambia have also approached us. Whenever people visit Olkaria and see the kind of work we do, they get excited. When they realize

their geothermal potential, they invite us to contribute our expertise.We also have a central workshop where we do rewinding of motors, transformers, and generators. In that workshop, we . . .do a lot of work for private companies. We are also diversifying to other areas like providing the land we have in Olkaria for industries to put up industrial parks. We can then provide them with steam and even electricity when the industry is fully liberalised. We have even set up a geothermal spa, a recreational facility using the natural water from the ground.

Q: KenGen has initiated great and bold moves... The government has also initiated several changes that affect KenGen. Let us talk abound unbundling and the impacts it has had in the industry. A: Before 1997, before unbundling, only Kenya Power and Lighting Company was known. You can say unbundling has made the sector strong because of the bodies that it created with specific mandates. For example, KenGen is to concentrate only in generating power. Other companies created with specific mandates include the Rural Electrification Authority, Geothermal Development Company and Kenya Electricity Transmission Company. The many companies created should make the industry more efficient, and I think, it has helped the growth of the sector.

Eng. Albert (left) and Booker Ngesa (right) going through the register of engineers in the ‘40 years of engineering achievement’ book

Q: With respect to the fast changing power landscape and the generation mix in Kenya, there is increased private sector participation in the power sector. The role of KenGen and its generation percentage is shrinking. KenGen and the government may soon be minor players in the power sector. How is this affecting KenGen? Are these changes good for Kenya? A: It is a fact that power generation is a very capital-intensive venture. As such, KenGen, a single company, is not able to meet all the power demands of the county. The private sector comes in to fill the gap that would exist because KenGen does not have all the resources required. They supplement what KenGen is doing. We are not scared of the private sector. Q: Just to cut in. A power sector that is private sector controlled, is that good for the country?A: Probably not, even in the most developed countries there is still a portion of the power sector held by the government. It would not be wise to privatise entirely the power sector. I hope the government will continue to support KenGen to be the stabilising factor in terms of providing power in time

and with competitive tariffs for Kenyans.

Q: The government has embarked on a plan to generate 5000 MW by 2017. From the projections KenGen has, does Kenya have the capacity to absorb this power?A: Generating 5000 MW by 2017 is a good project. People have said it is very ambitious. The government has, however, indicated that it has areas where demand can be grown to absorb this power. We are looking at iron ore smelting, transportation like the standard gauge railways, agriculture, min ing , tour i sm, and in fo rmat ion technology sector. At the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, a committee for demand creation comprising various stakeholders in the power sector exists. We are interacting with various players who will consume the power. Power plants take time to develop. We will track the demand and slow down production of power that we cannot absorb. As of now, and considering the time it takes to develop this 5000 MW capacity, it is a good vision by the government.

Q: How do the fossil fuel resources we are about to start enjoying affect power generation and the power mix in the

country?A: We currently use fossil fuels for thermal plants. but they are very expensive. If we get our own fossil fuels, we expect the government to give subsidies, hence, making the electricity generated from them affordable. The energy mix could actually change with the thermal plants increasing in significance. We were excited when we heard that there could be liquefied natural gas in North Eastern Kenya. We have even expressed interest to set up a generation plant there.

Q: As an Engineer, how does it feel to be at the helm of a corporation like KenGen? Does your engineering background help? Does KenGen have enough engineers?A: Having worked in the power sector both at the generation and at the distribution level, I enjoy an advantage at KenGen. I can interact and understand better the teams I work with. KenGen is an Engineering firm with generating power as its business. With the background and experience I have, I can interact with the Engineers and understand them better. With experience in planning, I find it easier to source for funding, examine projects and present proposals to the board

Interview


25 KENYA ENGINEER - Nov / Dec 2014

Interview

The mobile units, the first of their kind in the world, are expected to inject an extra 75 MW into Kenya’s power grid Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) expects to complete final tests on fourteen mobile geothermal wellheads in December 2015, adding 75 MW to the national grid. The mobile geothermal wellheads, the first of their kind in the world, are an innovative strategy by KenGen to accelerate green energy production, something analysts reckon will lower the cost of power in Kenya. This year alone, 25.6 MW generated using this innovative method has been added to the national grid. This is part of the first package comprising four wellheads each with an output of 6.4 MW. “Performance tests have been carried out

KenGen 70MW Geothermal Wellhead Project.(Courtesy of KenGen)

on each of the wellheads under Package 1. The contractors are preparing their reports and we do not anticipate any major snags. The only challenge we have faced was the lack of an evacuation line for one of the wellheads but we are working on this with partners,” KenGen CEO Albert Mugo told in a statement distributed to journalists during a tour of the site in Olkaria, some 100 kilometers north-west of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. Work on Package 2 and 3, comprising 10 wellheads each generating 5 MW, is progressing well according to Mugo, with the additional 50 MW set for injection into the national grid by end of next year. “This innovative technology will help Kenya tap into its vast geothermal resources faster to reduce the cost of power and enhance the

country’s energy stability,” he added. Essentially, geothermal wellheads are quick-to-deploy units that allow the tapping of geothermal wells almost immediately after drilling, compared to the four to five years it takes to build a conventional power plant. “It costs more than 5 million US dollars to drill a well and by remaining idle, it means we have to wait long to recover the colossal costs not to forget some of the money is borrowed,” explained Mugo. Kenya, long reliant on rain-fed hydro-electricity, has been grappling with high cost of energy for many years, making production expensive. But with the shift to renewable sources like geothermal and wind, it is expected that East Africa’s biggest economy will benefit from reduced cost of electricity, making the country more competitive and attractive to investors. The government of Kenya is presently pursuing an ambitious programme seeking to add 5000 MW to the national grid by 2017. Total national electricity output stands at slightly over 1,700 MW. KenGen, Kenya’s largest power producer is in the process of adding 20 MW of electricity from its Ngong Wind Farm near Nairobi. It is also working on a 100 MW wind power project in the Meru-Isiolo area in the eastern part of the country. Currently, geothermal accounts for 24 per cent of KenGen’s total power output but with the company aggressively diversifying it generation portfolio, this is expected to increase to 49 per cent by 2018.

Innovative mobile geothermal wellhead project to be complete in December 2015

of the company.Developing an Engineer takes time and expense. We do experience problems sometimes in getting specific skills like contract administration and project management for the projects we have. We, however, have initiatives like overseas training and pairing of seasoned and young engineers to transfer skills.

Q: If you had the chance, what would you change about the power sector? A: The sector could do with a lot of support from the government in terms of mitigating

risks. I would lobby and dialogue with the government to reduce risks associated with setting up power plants. I would also encourage the government to set up a more secure business environment. This would even reduce the price of power by eliminating the risk premium by investors. I would also work with the government and the National Land Commission to solve the issues around way leafs. Easement issues limit the distribution and reach of power.

Q: How does an engineer get to the summit of achievement as you have?

A: As they say, Rome was not build in a day. It has taken almost thirty-four years to be where I am. I would appeal to engineers to be faithful and diligent in their work. Follow the older engineers in their instruction and learn your trade well. Do not forget personal development. At some point, I even had to take a masters degree in management to improve my outlook. The engineering degree gives you the power to do much more than just engineering. The moment you realize that the engineering degree is just an empowerment, there is no limit to your achievement.

Innovative mobile geothermal wellhead project to be complete in December 2015

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Enjoy savings of up to around 40 percent

Compressed air system optimisation

Energy Saving

Authors:

Compressed air systems have an average service life of around 30 years – but technological innovation never stops. The following detailed comparison of a 30-year old system and a new one demonstrates how modernisation can significantly reduce energy and service costs whilst enhancing reliability and ease of use.

A direct comparison between an old compressed air installation that, until recently, was used by a supplier serving the mechanical engineering industry and a new state-of-the-art

compressed air station illustrates the gulf that exists between the two systems.The old system had an average air consumption of 8 m³/min and a maximum air consumption of around 21 m³/min. The total output of all compressors was the equivalent of approximately 150 kW of drive power. The system ran at this output for around 30 years and today’s compressed air quality requirement is the same as it was when the system was originally installed. All in all then, this is an ideal example to find out how much money can be saved when a completely new system is used under the same production conditions.

Proper controlThe first area to consider is compressed air production itself. The old machines are replaced by highly advanced compressors featuring, amongst other advantages, integrated controllers. The philosophy

30 years ago was to use three 75 kW units to produce the required compressed air, but today’s approach is very different and includes a master controller, such as the Sigma Air Manager 2 (SAM2) with 3-D Control, to interconnect compressor operation. This use of internal and master controllers allows compressors to be used with so-called Quadro or Dynamic control. Peak-load splitting, or a combination of fixed and variable speed compressors, has proven to be a far more effective method to provide the necessary compressed air. Specifically, machines of different sizes are selected from the outset and are cycled on and off according to actual compressed air requirement, which means that the most efficient and cost-effective load configuration is always used. Optimisation with the SAM2 makes it possible, in this case, to reduce the working pressure by around 1.5 bar, from almost 8 bar to 6 bar – which is all that’s necessary for the production processes in question. This measure alone can help slash energy costs by approximately 10.4 percent, or the equivalent of €7,706 per year.Lowering the pressure also reduced losses due to leakage, which equates to further savings of approximately €1,010 per year. In total therefore, controller-related measures alone would result in energy cost savings of around €8,716 per year.In addition to controllers, modern compressed air engineering technology offers many other advantages, such as high-efficiency compressor airends, energy-saving IE3 motors, optimised cooling systems, integrated separator systems and minimised pressure losses. Through these performance-enhancing features, a further energy saving of €14,618 could be achieved.

Energy-saving dryersFollowing compressed air production is compressed air treatment, which presents the next area for optimisation. The old system requires a Class 4 pressure dew point (i.e. +3 °C) in accordance with ISO 8573, which means that the air has to be dried. Replacing the existing refrigeration dryers with contemporary energy-saving dryers, such as Secotec series dryers for example, results in an additional energy cost saving of €4,085.

Save that heat!Heat recovery is crucial to efficient energy usage, but its benefits are often severely underestimated or completely overlooked. Rather than simply letting the compressor heat that results from compressed air production escape unused, it can be put to good use in a wide number of ways, such as for heating purposes or work processes. This can have huge energy cost saving implications: in this case, around €35,000 euro per year (with heating oil used as the basis of comparison, at €0.86 per litre).

Savings of almost 40 percent With all of these individual improvements combined, the total savings when directly comparing a compressed air system that was considered state-of-the-art 30-years ago to an optimised modern compressed air system amount to over €27,000, or approximately 37 percent, in energy costs alone. If factoring in heat recovery, this sum jumps to around €62,000, or 85 percent!However, we must also assume that not all systems were designed with maximum energy-efficiency in mind 30 years ago, so the total savings will be even greater for many older systems when taking into consideration all of the advantages that modern compressed

Controllers are key when it comes to compressed air system optimisation.

They not only enable precision monitoring of components and adjust system

performance to match actual compressed air demand, but also provide data

analysis for predictive and documentation purposes.

Daniel Paul Managing Director, Kaeser Compressors Ltd, Kenya.

Daniela Koehler,Press Officer, both with Kaeser Kompressoren SE,

Germany.

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Erwin Ruppelt,Chief Project Engineer, Dipl. Betriebswirtin

Compressed air station


These tables clearly show how much is saved, in terms of energy costs and power consumption,

Summary - KAESER (kwh)

Measures kwh kwh kwh kg CO2* %

1983 2013 saving saving saving

Master 613,485 540,875 72,633 41,836 11.8

controller

More efficient 540,825 419,008 121,817 70,166 22.5

compressors

Partial load 45,682 11,641 34,041 19,607 75

controlled

refrigeration dryers

Total savina 228,491 131,610 37

Heat recovery (HR) 0 292,700 292,700 168,595

benefit

Total saving with HR 521,191 300,206 85

*576 g CO₂ / kWh

Measures Euro 1983* Euro 2013 Euro Saving % Saving

Master controller 73,615 64,899 8,716 11.8

More efficient compressors 64,899 50,281 14,618 22.5

Partial load controlled 5,482 1,397 4,085 75

refrigeration dryers

Total saving 27,419 37

Heat recovery (HR) benefit 0 35,124 35,124

Total saving with HR 62,543 85

Summary - KAESER (Euro) *0.12 € / kWh

Energy Saving

air technology has to offer. Experience shows that savings of around 40 to 50 percent can be realised – and that’s without tapping into the benefits of heat recovery. Needless to say, the cost savings would be far greater if heat recovery was utilised.On the other hand, potential savings will of course be lower if the systems have at least been partially upgraded to more recent technology at some point since initial installation. Even in such cases though, the total savings can be considerable.

Analysis reveals potentialSo, how does one reveal the energy-saving potential that hides in a compressed air system? This is where compressed air audits can prove invaluable. However, due to the large number of providers that now offer audits, there are massive differences in audit quality. Not all audits are equal, so there are a few points to be aware of… When commissioning an audit, it is a good idea to clarify whether it will be performed in accordance with the ISO 11011 quality standard, how many years of experience with compressed air technology the provider has and also to examine any references.When discussing the scope of an audit, it is important to make sure that it is not limited to just an ampere measurement, since this assessment method does not reflect the true load behaviour of compressors with three-phase asynchronous motors running at full load and idling. Certified measurement equipment should be used to perform the audit and a report containing potential improvement strategies should also be included that takes frequency-controlled, as well as splitting solutions, into consideration.Compressed air quality is another aspect that has to be ensured over the entire period. The audit should be sufficiently comprehensive to note the working pressure in the compressed air station both upstream and downstream from treatment components, as well as at the system’s lowest point of pressure. The potential for identification of leaks in a general sense and subsequent localisation of specific leaks should also be discussed, as should be the relationship and coordination between compressed air quality, centralised treatment, and piping material and diameter.Last, but not least, it should be possible - via controllers - to integrate the entire compressed air system with a centralised system that supports documentation in accordance with ISO 50001.

ConclusionAnalysing and modernising older compressed air systems is well worth the effort and, over the long-term, can result in enormous cost savings, despite any initial investment that may be required. The important thing is to have the systems tested within the scope of a high-quality audit and have the system professionally maintained following implementation of optimisation measures. Compressed air system operators who keep a regular eye on technological innovations and potential measures for optimisation should always be able to enjoy the benefits of an efficient, dependable and cost-effective supply of quality compressed air.

when the system is upgraded to the latest technology.

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Professional Development

Training Somali engineers

Brendon J. Cannon, Ph.D. is an independent researcher and consultant basedin Nairobi. A former Fulbright scholar, Brendon lectures on East Africa and theMiddle East. His writing has resulted in several publications and nine academicpapers.

Surveying course at Gollis University

By Brendon Cannon, Ph.D.{

Introduction

After years of civil strife, Somali university engineering programs are stronger than ever. The Somali areas

(Somaliland, Somalia and Punt land) now count approximately twenty engineering programs offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. The variety of degrees offered underscores the strength of Somali engineering: electrical, telecommunications and civil. Over the past fifteen years, multiple universities have been established or re-opened. Engineering degrees and the skills they impart are particularly important in this part of the continent given the need to rebuild and renew infrastructure. As such, the demand for engineering and qualified engineers is growing and Somali engineering faculties are responding to the challenge.

Somali regions endured over a decade of civil strife beginning in the late 1980s. Every institution of higher education which existed during these times closed due to violence, destructions of facilities, general instability and the accompanying lack of funding and state support. Hence, Somalis currently need professionals to rebuild infrastructure and institutions. According to Professor Abdi DahirDirie, an advisor to the President of Mogadishu University (MU), one of the key missions of Somali’s engineering faculties is the development of indigenous scientific knowledge that encourages research and imparts priority skills. The engineers currently being trained at Somali institutions represent a direct and tangible link to the region’s future as they will literally build and re-build.

Revival and regenerationGiven the chaos of the past the two decades, the strong rebound of Somali engineering programs is remarkable. Currently, the number of universities and engineering

programs surpasses anything prior to the upheaval. The cases of two universities in Mogadishu are telling.

Officially opened in 1972, but dating back as an institution to the 1950s, Somali National University (SNU) was historically the largest and most famous Somali institution of higher learning. The university consisted of thirteen faculties offering degrees in multiple disciplines including engineering. Prior to the beginning of civil strife in the early 1990s, the university had a teaching staff of 700 and a student body numbering in the thousands. However, fighting between warring factions in 1991 severely damaged the university and SNU suspended classes indefinitely. SNU’s existence was snuffed out for over two decades until November 2013 when the Republic of Somalia announced that it would revive SNU. In partnership with the University of Alberta and the United Nation’s Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, SNU reopened its doors in August 2014 and again boasts a Faculty of Engineering.

In contrast, Mogadishu University (MU) did not exist prior to the crisis. Indeed, MU was born out of the crisis when a group of Somali academics decided to address the lack of educational opportunities. Planning took place in 1993 and, during the height of civil strife in 1997, these academics opened MU as a non-governmental, non-profit institution. For the past decade and a half, MU has thrived. According to Professor Dirie, MU now offers degrees from nine faculties including the Faculties of Engineering and Computer Science and Information Technology. Variety of programs and skills.Along with degrees in basic engineering, certain Somali faculties offermultiple special ized degrees in mechanical, electrical, telecommunications, computer and civilengineering. Some institutions offer degrees specifically designed to provide expertise in infrastructure. For example, the Engineering Department at Addis University College in Burao offers degrees in Architecture and Urban Planning Technology

Scientists study the world as it is; engineers create the world that has never been.—Theodore von Kármán


and General Drafting Technology. Hargeisa University’s (HU) Civil Engineering Faculty designs their undergraduate degree to impart transport, water supply, sanitation, construction, structure and town planning skills. Engineer Hassan JamaDerie, HU’ s Dean of the College of Engineering, noted that HU offers rigorous five-year undergraduate engineering programs in which students are expected to work at least part time on campus or in the community on engineering-related projects. This ensures they have the commensurate skills required to join the workforce when they graduate. Engineer Hassan added that HU only accepts qualified students with top grades and intends to keep classroom numbers small in order to provide top-quality skills. Because of HU’s work program, engineering students will actually mix cement and build citiesnot just study in classrooms, said Engineer Hassan.

Multiple faculties combine engineering programs and instruction with information technology and computers science, such as Somali International University’s (SIU) Faculty of Engineering and Computer Technology. SIU’s engineering faculty houses the Departments of Civil Engineering and Computer Science and offers graduate and undergraduate degrees. Gollis University (GU), a private university in Hargeisa, provides courses in surveying for university students as well as surveying classes open to qualified students and professionals. GU engineering students often work with industries and construction firms to build and re-build roads, bridges and buildings, thus acquiring hands-on experience in everything from surveying to construction management to mixing cement. As part of the university’s efforts to enhance and rebuild infrastructure, GU’s program ensures students will graduate fully prepared to participate in the workforce as civil, telecommunication and electrical engineers.

Academic staffMany Somali universities and tertiary institutions have obtained top-quality academicstaff. This is largely due to a combination of their access to local, national and international funding, the strong demand for engineering and qualified engineers,

their respected status in the region, the return of qualified Somali engineers from other countries, and their connections to other higher education institutes throughout East Africa, North America and Europe. For example, Hargeisa University (HU) offers three distinct undergraduate engineering degrees: telecommunications, electrical and civil. The faculty boasts over 400 full-time undergraduate engineering students and 45 lecturers from around the globe. HU’s curriculum matches that of Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar Universities in Ethiopia. HU sends undergraduate engineering students to Bahir Dar University for their fifth and final year of training so they can utilize state-of-the-art labs there. Amoud University (AU), in the Awdal region, boasts of academic staff from the US, the UK, Bangladesh and the Sudan. Gollis University (GU) offers undergraduate degrees in multiple engineering disciplines and a Master’s in Engineering Management. It currently has 600 undergraduate and 20 graduate engineering students. GU actively collaborates with international institutions including Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta University and India’s SSM College of Engineering and boasts of lecturers from the US, UK, Canada, Uganda and Kenya. Hands-on learningSomal i engineer ing facul t ies o f fe r specialized courses as well as hands-on learning designed to develop professionals with the skills to rebuild the region. Gollis University’s (GU) Faculty of Engineering is one such institution. As part of the GU’s assistance to students and to vulnerable groups (returnees, Internally Displaced Persons, and poverty stricken families), it works to train students to build affordable housing. In fact, GU encourages its students to build pilot module project houses for its academic staff and students. Specifically, GU’s research department has designed a series of build-it-yourself houses to be assembled with local materials. Each house can be built for as little as USD 600 and are built of readily available resources. Similarly, Hargeisa University aims to train its engineering students in affordable construction techniques on its own campus. Students are expected to assist in the construction of new buildings and improve

existing structures. According to Abdirashed Ibrahim Abdirahman, HU’s Director of ICT Services & Distance Learning, this type of training will give engineering graduates the ability to produce high quality, low-cost buildings.

State-of-the-art facilitiesCompetition for talented engineering students is growing. As part of Gollis University’s (GU) efforts to attract quality students and staff, it recently completed a state-of-the-art telecommunications lab in partnership with Nationlink-Somaliland. This lab is the only one of its kind in this region and aims to provide practical training. This year, GU also opened a civil engineering testing lab which provides students, staff, NGOs, and businesses with the opportunity to bring soil, concrete and structures for tests which determine if the materials and products meet international standards.

Not to be outdone, Hargeisa University (HU) is in the process of opening the largest Somali electrical engineering lab. HU will also begin offering Urban Planning courses in early 2015. According to HU’s Engineer Hassan, town planning is a critical skill given the need to rebuild and the expansion of cities and towns. Town planners are extremely scarce, and HU aims to rectify this by training students. HU also intends to offer an Industrial Engineering program later this year.

Limits to learningDespite the positive developments, Somali engineering programs experience difficulties related to the recent upheavals. Some suffer from limited infrastructure, lack of qualified lecturers and lack of university-level students. This is particularly true in the south and southwest where the situation remains unstable. But even in stable areas, challenges remain. For example, Kownayn University (KU), a private institution in Mogadishu founded in 2013, planned to offer a Bachelor’s in Information and Communications Technology during 2014. However, the number of qualified students proved insufficient to begin the program. KU plans to offer the degree program during 2015 pending the required student numbers and qualifications.

Professional Development

44 KENYA ENGINEER - Nov / Dec 2014 0

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Safeguarding our resources

conflicts lay waste to entire peoples and ecosystems. Continentally, we have several examples from which we can learn what not to do. Dialectical materialism shows that most actions have predictable outcomes. Therefore, what we do now with Kenya’s abundant resources will affect us in the long term and, mostly, in a predictable ways. Hindsight shows that when public interest is kicked out of policy discussions and ruthless business promotion is allowed at all costs, the backlash always proves devastating. By definition, a business venture overwhelmingly strives to make profit. The encompassing objective of a business is to maximise its gains. It will do all in its power to achieve this. This includes looting a country dry if given the chance and causing environmental and human loss in the process. Examples of multi-nationals devastating Africa’s land while maximising their profits include the activities of Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria. The Ejama-Ebubu spill case and the history of the Ogoni people versus Shell come to mind. (Ken Saro Wiwa narrated the Ogoni people’s story in detail.)

Governments take part in resource exploitation to deter the exploitative

tendencies of multinationals and ensure equitable benefits to the citizenry. The Geneva Convention of 1958 requires national governments to hold exclusive rights to exploit resources found in their respective countries’ both onshore and offshore. A government, therefore, is responsible for the overall social considerations for those in its jurisdiction while a company has profit as the final goal.

A government must be involved with long-term social concerns and monitoring companies which might otherwise disrupt the country’s social goals. In Norway, the state directly owns interests in a number of oil and gas fields, pipelines and onshore facilities so that it can take on the risk and costs as well as benefit from the economic rent.

2.Exploring oil and gas in KenyaIn Kenya, National Oil Corporation (NOC), which incorporated in April 1981, has a mandate to participate in all aspects of the petroleum industry. According to NOC, petroleum exploration in Kenya begun in the 1950’s and the first well was drilled in 1960. British Petroleum and Shell began exploring in Kenya in 1954 in the Lamu Embayment where they drilled ten wells. In 1975,

Mining

According to the World Bank, Kenya has a Gini coefficient of 47.7. This places Kenya amongst the world’s most unequal countries. Norway. on the other hand, has a Gini coefficient of 25.8 placing it amongst the world’s most equal countries. Norway has steadily risen since Norwegians took control of their hydrocarbon resources half a century ago. The wealth from these resources has been used to the benefit of all. This is largely due to a prudent base with respect to policy and citizens’ constructive participation in government.

When petroleum activities started in the 1960s and 1970s, Norway had close to no knowledge on the petroleum industry. This is precisely where Kenya finds itself today. We, however, have the benefit of learning from other people’s mistakes including the terrible practices that have seen oil related

1.Background

Kenya is at a critical stage in the drive to become an oil producer. This will bring in varied interests from all over

the globe. It has the potential to give a huge impetus to the economy and well-being of the country. Extractive resources can also prove very destructive if mismanaged. Kenya must therefore safeguard the resources within its borders and the resulting revenue.

Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion intended to represent the income distribution of a nation’s residents.

Base titanium mineral processing facility in Kwale county, Kenya. (picture courtersy of Base Titanium)


several consortia acquired acreage in the upper part of Lamu Basin. Texas Pacific and its associaites drilled Hargaso-1 in 1975 and encountered oil and gas in cretaceous rocks. In 1976, Chevron and Esso drilled the Anza-1 and Bahati-1 wells in the southern part of Anza Basin.

In 1986, the petroleum exploration and production legislation in Kenya was revised. In 1986, the government of Kenya entered into a joint venture exploration programme with Petro-Canada International Assistance Corporation. Between 1985 and 1990, Amoco and Total led a group of companies which drilled ten wells, eight in Anza Basin and two in Mandera Basin. In August 2000, the National Oil Corporation commissioned the Tertiary Rift Study that

was completed in March 2001. The study led to the quantification of potential sources and reservoir rock units in the study area as well as the evaluation of the petroleum system in the sub-basins. In 2012, British-based Tullow Oil said it had established more than twenty meters of net oil pay, a possible precursor to oil exploitation in Kenya.

3.The Norwegian modelOn September 9, 2014, at the State House in Nairobi, Norway’s new Ambassador to Kenya, Victor Conrad Ronneberg, presented his credentials to President Uhuru Kenyatta. As the government of Kenya had previously contacted Norway about best practices in managing natural resources, at the State House, Ambassador Ronneberg praised Kenya for showing interest in how Norway manages its oil and gas resources. “We are

considering a long-term agreement with Kenya’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum on effective and socially responsible management of petroleum resources,” Ambassador Ronnenberg said.Bravely assessing a country’s position then juxtaposing it with countries once in similar conditions is prudent. The assessment can inform the entrant on what to emulate and what not to do. What is the use of inventing the wheel when you can just improve on what already exists? Norway started its journey by laying out a simple people-based oil policy and Ten Oil Commandments that guide Norwegians. According to Stortingsmelding 1971 , two of Norway’s ten Oil Commandments state that national management and control must be secured over all operations on the Norwegian continental shelf and petroleum

Source - Natural oil coopertation

Kenya Oil


discoveries must be exploited in a way that minimizes Norway’s crude oil dependence on other countries. The goal was to achieve a qualitatively better and equal society.

According to Ex t rac t ive Indus t r ies Transparency Initiative, petroleum activities have been crucial for Norway’s financial growth and to financing the Norwegian welfare state. Over forty years, petroleum production on the shelf has added more than NOK 9000 billion (about 126000 billion KES) to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2010, the petroleum sector represented 21 per cent of the country’s total value creation. Norway’s value creation in the petroleum industry is more than double that of the land-based industry and about fifteen times the total value creation in the primary industries. Norway’s net cash flow goes into the Petroleum Fund which is now called the Government Pension Fund-Global. The government of Norway uses some of these funds to balance the national budget using the “4 per cent fiscal rule.” Along with the return on these investments, Norway saves the rest in international portfolio investments. With high oil prices and a large fund, the capital increases rapidly.

If Kenya adopts people-based thinking, akin to what Norway did at the inception of its oil and gas exploitation, we might expect our resources to work for us. However, if we let neo-liberalisation drive us, instead of people-cantered policy, then our resources will definitely work against us.

4.Establishing policy for posterityLike Norway, Kenya must keep its people first in all of its policies. The government must prioritize the most disadvantaged people. Oil and gas exploitation bring with it challenges. Kenya lacks capacity, yet the country must deliberately empower itself with desirable policies. Without affirmative action to encourage local participation and locals’ eventual takeover of these industries, there will be chaos arising from the oil. The areas of participation include policymaking, downstream activities and upstream activities. Do not forget revenue harvesting and enjoyment.

The internationals should show us how to do it. They should not come do it for

us. The energy sector activities promise Kenyans abundance, prosperity and self-reliance. Attaining these promises demands a comprehensive policy framework and avoiding the familiar and tragic experiences of oil and gas rich countries. Not only their business interests, but all of Kenyans’ aspirations, should be fulfilled. The policy framework should lay out a clear base for handling hydrocarbon resources. Major areas of consideration include institutions, revenue, legal frameworks, and environmental considerations.

We must be alive to the fact that extractive energy resources are finite, yet they can cause protracted loss of life, disruption of life and environmental damage. Soon hydrocarbons and mineral resources could account for 20 to 30 percent of Kenya’s GDP and more than half of its total exports.

The government is currently grappling with the 2014 National Sovereign Wealth Fund (KNSWF) Bill. The bill establishes this fund to address the pertinent issues of intergenerational inequalities, use the fund to stabilise the budget, protect the country from revenue volatility, and prevent the economic pitfalls of overemphasizing and mismanaging the extractive industry.

Long-term needs of the country, not short-term partisan political goals, should inform the management of these funds. The executive should be limited in the role it plays in the fund so that the constantly shifting machinations of politics do not affect the fund. The only political role

The net Norway government cash flow from petroleum activities (Source: Norwegian Public Accounts)

CAD Services

that the fund must play is to economically and geo-politically strengthen the country and its citizenry. The KNSWF Bill should contain clauses that institutionalize public accountability and participation. Policymakers must find ways that limit the harm which short-term political manoeuvres, so common in resource rich African states, may cause the fund. KNSWF is targeted to start with a capital injection of KES 10 billion the source of which will include, but not be limited to, privatisation proceeds, state corporation dividends and revenue from the extractive industries. It is easy to see that the mainstay of the fund will be the extractive industry with gas and oil at its centre.

5. ConcludingThrough their duly elected leaders, supervision and policy must remain a domain of the people directly. These policies should create jobs for the locals and ensure that maximum revenue remains in the country. The energy mix of any country is a reflection of policy, politics, and opportunities in that country. Energy is, has, and will always be a political subject. Engineers, however, remain the only people who can extract energy and make it work for all.

Reference(i). Helge Ryggvik, 2010, the Norwegian oil experience, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture at the University of Oslo. Norway.(ii). World Bank GINI index, accessed on November 24, 2011

Kenya Oil


Ensuring local content in the Standard Gauge Railway

The Standard Gauge Railway is a strategic platform for building a competitive transport system in Kenya. It will increase mobility, reduce road congestion, remove major

inefficiencies in the movement of both people and goods, and reduce costs of doing business. These will in turn lead to the development of a competitive private sector platform which is key to championing local, regional and global investment in Kenya and increased wealth creation for the people of Kenya. An efficient railway system in the country will support the diversification of productive sectors and, as a direct consequence, increase employment and spur economic growth leading to an important impact on revenue and increased wealth for Kenyans. In addition, this new and faster connection will enable new economic opportunities, create business in the East African region and make the region’s markets integrated and more accessible.In order to achieve an efficient and nationwide competitive railway transport system, the main users have to be involved in its inception/design, planning, construction, operation and maintenance. This involvement emphasizes the need to create a synergetic link between the private sector and the government. Utilizing Kenya´s private sector knowledge and investment capacity is the strategic solution for the development of an efficient and reliable railway system in Kenya.

The Private Sector Railway’s Consortium In 2009, at the initial stage of the private sector involvement in Kenya’s railway system development, a private sector driven

council established the Standard Gauge Railway Committee (SGRC). The SGRC was a Kenya Railway driven initiative that failed to make progress thus, as a way forward, an alternative in the form of a consortium was proposed. This consortium comprises the country’s key private sector associations representing major economic and social sector stakeholders. To realize a structured contribution of the private sector towards the development of Kenya’s railway system, there was a call for the transformation of the SGRC into an independent institution, thus the Private Sector Railway’s Consortium (PSRC) was created. The role of the consortium is to foster the interest of the business community at large. This community consists of the productive sector and concerns the employment and welfare of the people of Kenya. The PSRC also seeks to transfer capability and technical expertise to local industries towards enhancing the quality of locally produced materials such as metals, railway rolling stock steel and cement so that they can be utilized in rail construction.

The consortium includes the following members: the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), the Kenya Tourism Association, the Kenya Tourism Federation, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, the Mining Association, the Public Transport Operators Association, the Kenya Trade Network Agency, the Confederation of Informal Sector Organizations, and the Kenya Ports Authority. Other players include the Kenyan Shipping Council, the Kenya Investment Authority, the East African Business Council, the Institution of Engineers of Kenya, the Kenya Motor Industry Association, the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers Association, the Cement Association and the Ministry

SGR

By Dr. Kevit Desai, Chief Coordinator,{Private Sector Railway’s Consortium Dr. Kevit Desai(C), Chief Coordinator, Private sector Railway’s Consortium and other members at KEPSA offices during SGR meeting


of Transport and Infrastructure.

The consortium is involved in scrutinizing the design, planning, construction, operation and maintenance of the railway system. It also participates in formulating mechanisms for private sector involvement and the open access system so that they include the following key operational structures: bulk product handling, liquid product handling, container transportation and passenger transportation. The consortium is also interested in safety of the railway, railway services, passenger services, competitive pricing, speed of the railway, and the efficiency of railway and technology transfer.

Proposed avenues of cooperationIn addition to development the SGR and the above highlighted areas, the consortium emphasizes the need to create economic zones within each station along the SGR. There is the need to develop infrastructure as well as related utilities around each station under direct implementation of the respective county governments. This will include, among others issues, creation of efficient road networks, water and electricity supplies and fiber optics internet accessibility.We propose for the creation of one extra station in Eldoret or Malaba in order to accommodate regional trucks and container traffic rather than solely relying on and congesting the Nairobi station. There should be emphasis on the need to ensure effective value addition and opportunities for Kenyan business and entrepreneurs during the SGR construction process. This in turn is expected to facilitate an increase in local job creation within industries such as furniture, cement, steel, paint, concrete and cabling.There is need to fast track the construction process of the SGR from an initially planned five-year period to a maximum of three years while ensuring parallel construction by regional governments (Uganda and Rwanda) of their lines.

We emphasize the need to facilitate technology transfer and skills development with each county by setting up relevant institutions to accommodate these complexities. In order to work closely towards coinciding operations of the SGR, the consortium should be able to coordinate aggressively with its counterparts in Uganda and Rwanda. Because of these needs, the consortium seeks to be tasked, institutionalized and empowered to implement and oversee a synergetic development of private sector involvement towards the railway system development and its operation.

ConcernsFollowing the pre-planning meetings held at KEPSA on 10-12 September 2014, the private sector raised points about most of the caucus discussions. The meetings brought together local private sector organizations interested in participation in the SGR development in order to plan on appropriate ways to engage with the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) and China Road and Bridge Construction Company (CRBC).

Some of the concerns raised include the definition of local content. In addition, the private sector does not know the details of the program of works and bill of quantities. This information is needed to enable the contribution of 40% local content to the project. Further clarification is needed on the standards guiding this project and other details. The KRC representative mentioned that Chinese and American standards are in place, yet there is a need for structured dialogue between KRC, CRBC and KEPSA to take place soon.

In conclusion, the railway gauge will serve this generation and future generations efficiently if decisions render long-term business investment. To this end, the private sector will work together with the government to build an efficient, productive and a high performance railway.

The newly built Imara Daima Railway Station in Nairobi

SGR

Engineers Board grapples with change

The engineering community in Kenya has been wrestling with change for some time now. The Engineers Act

2011 repealed the Engineers Registration Act CAP 530 with effect from 14th September 2012. The 2011 Act established the Engineers Board of Kenya’s (EBK) powers and functions which it also outlined. With this act, came promises and hopes which the now defunct Engineers Registration Board (ERB) and the policies around it had previously curtailed.

Two years on, the delivery pangs still surround the promises of the 2011 Engineers Act. On 5th September 2014, I was fortunate to be at a stakeholders’ workshop at the Kenya School of Government. At this workshop, participants discussed the Act, the draft regulations pertaining to it, continuous professional development policy, and the scale of fees for engineering works and services. Ms. T. Achar presented the overview of the Engineers Act and several desirable provisions of the Act. She exalted the Act’s numerous virtues including its expected positive impacts on the engineering scene in Kenya. Ms. Achar observed that the Board has the power to delegate its functions as it saw fit in order to better perform its duties. ‘The Engineers Act 2011 does a lot to protect the practice of engineering in the country,’ she concluded.

After Ms. Achar’s presentation, a member of the audience, senior counsel Mr. Wachira Maina, raised some legal conundrums that may result from the Act. ‘The Board is set in a manner that it regulates engineering not engineering services,’ he observed. ‘The result is that unqualified persons have room

to handle several engineering services. Other practitioners in the engineering scene, like technicians, are also not accommodated in the Act,’ he continued.The senior counsel then observed, ‘The law does not take into account the devolved units enshrined in our new constitution.’ The Act is silent on how to handle devolution with which the country is currently dealing. Devolution will create some gaps considering that the counties are some of the major consumers of engineering services. Mr. Maina then

went on to observe that the Act does not satisfactorily handle post project liability in regard to foreign engineers.

Also, the Engineers Act does not envisage the integration of East Africa. It does not take special consideration of engineers in the East African region, yet integration will allow free movement of labour within the member countries. Engineers will be able to move from other East African countries and ply their trade in Kenya without limitations. It is worth noting that countries like Tanzania

Engineers Regulations

{By Achola Kevin, BSc Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Universityof NairobiRegistered Graduate Engineer

Kenya Engineer team visits an engineering lab in Technical University of Kenya. An engineering student(front right) gives a technical demonstration while Editorial Board Secretary Booker Ngesa(left), Kevin Achola(center left) and TUK Lecturer Dr Faustin(center right) look on


have already passed Kenya in the number of engineers which they produce.

Tanzania has well over 10,000 practicing engineers whereas Kenya has less than 2,000. Tanzania and some other East African countries subject their engineers to regulations different from those laid down by EBK, yet their engineers will receive equal consideration within East Africa. Since we are already at a deficit as a country with regard to engineers, it is not hard to see that there will be a net influx of foreign engineers into the country. By the way after integration, in order to bypass EBK, inventive Kenyan graduates might go register in Tanzania, come back, and practice in Kenya. Delegates at the meeting raised questions

with respect to the Accredited Checker. What are the functions of the Accredited Checker and what is the Checker’s position in the pecking order? Furthermore, how does the Accredited Checker relate to other engineers within the pecking order?

‘Article 36(2) of the Constitution of Kenya says a person shall not be compelled to join an association of any kind. Yet the Engineers Act 2011 compels one to join the Institution of Engineers of Kenya to be considered as an engineer,’ said one stakeholder. ‘As such,’ he added, ‘the Act goes against the constitution, the supreme law of the land.’ To this, the chairperson of EBK, Eng. D.M. Wanjau, said that the bill which preceded the act went through

parliament, and therefore, anyone with a problem with the act’s provisions should address that problem to parliament.

Delegates observed that the Engineers Act and the board to which it gave rise did not make provisions to handle public concerns. The Board set the 5th September 2014 meeting with the backdrop of EBK’s newspaper announcements about accredited engineering undergraduate programs. This announcement scuttled the dreams of many students and stirred a public outcry as such announcements often do. As the last Kenyan President was preparing to leave office, there was a rush to give middle level colleges university charters. The then-outgoing president gave out several charters, but EBK did not follow suite in recognising the new universities’ engineering programs. This discrepancy resulted in students sitting in lecture halls little knowing that their professional body would not recognise their credentials.

There was a less than organised transition between the parent universities and the constituent colleges. Take the case of Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) which got its charter in January 2013. Those students whom Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) had admitted to TUM when TUM was just one of JKUAT’s constituent colleges now find themselves under a new dispensation according to which EBK has not accredited their programs.

At the meeting, Dr. Faustin Ondore, a chartered engineer in the United Kingdom and a senior lecturer at the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering at Technical University of Kenya (TUK), highlighted the plight of the students. ‘As a result of EBK’s actions, the students and their parents are now thrown into a state of panic,’ he said. The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) have continued to send students to undertake these non-accredited programs.

In his delivery, Dr. Ondore also observed that there is no clear path to becoming an engineer in Kenya. It is little wonder that





we have about 20,000 graduate engineers but less than 2,000 of them have made it to become practising engineers. The transition from graduate to practicing engineer is terrible and presents the engineering community a vile truth with which to contend.

After the meeting’s tea brake, Ms. Achar presented the draft regulations. Then, Eng. Grace Onyango and Eng. Michael Okonji jointly presented the scale of fees for engineering services. The draft regulations sparked robust discussions with Eng. Mwangi, the Chairperson of the Association of Consulting Engineers (ACEK), weighing in with an eloquent speech in support of the engineering consulting industry.

The major issues which stakeholders raised were around the ownership and running of engineering firms. The contentious section 5 of the regulations reads:‘Requirements for registration of an engineering consulting firm include; Proof that one of the shareholders is a licensed Consulting engineer. Proof that all other shareholders and all directors are professional engineers. Provide the Board with certified copies of Personal Identification Number (PIN), Value Added Tax (VAT) and valid Tax compliance certificates of the firm.’

Delegates argued that these requirements are over protective and retrogressive to running an engineering consulting firm as a profitable business. When Mr. Maina Wachira was asked how lawyers deal with these issues, he said ‘PricewaterhouseCoopers is the largest worldwide, provider of legal services yet it is not a law firm.’ He advised that EBK should be alive to the realities in the business world.

Currently, firms need a multi-disciplinary approach to handling business. Take the example of the annuity framework on which the Ministry of Roads and Infrastructure is working. The framework brings together contractors, consultants, bankers, equipment providers, material providers and the government to handle road projects. Engineers will be members of teams with other professionals. Delegates suggested EBK should eliminate some of the requirements and leave tax compliance to the registrar of companies and the Kenya Revenue Authority. The delegates wanted

the section changed to accommodate non-engineers as shareholders.

When Eng. Nicholas Musuni presented the continuous professional development (CPD) policy for engineers, some issues cropped up. These issues included deregistrat ion. Section f ive of the document states, ‘CPD record forms for a particular calendar year must be filled and submitted by 30th March of the following year. Failure to submit the CPD record sheet as stipulated within the stated period shall result in the removal from the register during the next calendar year.’ Those present wanted to know exactly what activities CPD is comprised of and how they would be assessed. It is worth noting that this CPD approach pays attention to the already registered engineers and ignores the initial stages of development. There are no guidelines on initial professional development immediately after graduation, the stage in an engineers’ development where Kenya looses out most. An engineer’s development framework would serve Kenya better at this moment to beef up the number of practising engineers.

Stakeholders also wondered what would happen to retired engineers. Would they instantly loose a title they had worked for all their life? ‘An engineer should be able to retire with his title,’ Professor Harry Kaane said while chairing the plenary session. Additional delegates, who also proposed a review of this policy, joined in.

The presentation of the document, ‘The Scale of Fees and Conditions of Engagement for Consulting Engineering Services in Kenya,’ elicited healthy sentiments. The delegates recommended that it should be revised especially in regard to the duplication of works. Delegates suggested an upward review of the rates. During this session, the issue of engineers ‘undercutting’ each other arose as some delegates wondered how engineers would be motivated to adhere to these rates and not under quote each other.

Such public engagements and dialogue are a good way for EBK to serve engineers since no one has a monopoly of knowledge and being familiar with the currents that are blowing in the engineering community will make EBK more responsive to the industry. Kudos EBK. In his closing remarks, the chairperson of EBK, Eng. D.M. Wanjau, assured the stakeholders that EBK will act on their sentiments, and he welcomed more comments via email. EBK was, in fact, set to meet with the learning institutions the following week to address the thorny issue of accreditation of programs.

EBK and all the stakeholders in the engineering sector must do a lot more to make engineering claim its spot in the country. Engineers in Kenya will only attain a position of influence and competence through unity, integrity, and objectivity amongst all stakeholders in all deliberations. The pipeline for engineers from learning institutions to practise is dire. Dialogue is a good move; may action follow.

Dr. Faustin Ondore a senior Lecturer in TUK Engineering department gives his contributon during thestake holders meeting.


Technical University engineering students’ off road 150cc buggy

Innovation

Four students from Technical University of Kenya have thrown their weight in the innovative world by creating

a 150cc rear drive off road buggy. The mechanical engineering students, Peter Mbugua, Shadrack Maina, John Wambugu and Amos Mwangi, are behind this amazing invention and describe the project as an achievement for them and for the university at large. Kenya Engineer interviewed these innovators.

“The idea of creating such a car came in fourth year while we were undertaking the Industrial Based Learning (IBL) program for four months, as it is a requirement for every group of student to come up with something unique. We came up with the idea and design to where it is right now,” said Shadrack Maina.

“After visiting the Numerical Machining Complex (NMC) and taking a look at the pioneer car, we decided to take the chance and create an off road buggy 150cc car. What actually motivated us to come up with the car is that the off road car is rarely produced in the Kenyan market as most cars are conventional and their production is large compared to off road cars,” remarked John Wambugu.

Having taken a test drive on the rear wheeled car, our reporter noticed the engine was located at the rear part of the car and the shell of the car had no cover unlike normal bodied cars. Amos Mwangi explained, “This is for the purposes of air cooling and easy trouble shooting in case of a breakdown unlike a normal car where one has to open all parts to repair.” Peter Mbugua explained further, “The exhaust system is that of a motorbike to help in getting rid of excess exhaust gases from a controlled combustion inside an engine. The stability of the car and its wheels

are one of a kind making it perfect to manoeuvre in areas where large scale farming is practised. Also, the car is cheap to produce and can be used to pull a cart with an extension at the front.”

It was not all smooth sailing for the students to create such an invention by themselves as the provision of funds was a great challenge. Buying the spare parts on such a small scale is always very expensive, but this didn’t deter their efforts. The team regards the car, which uses petrol for its operations, as fast for it can cover a distance of 180 kilometres per hour.

The student engineers wish to target large scale farmers or individuals who like social activities such as golfing or even long drives where one can connect the off road car to a normal car. They also want to market their products to institutions of learning which can use the car to deliver goods from one department to another for faster accessibility.Considering the duplication of inventions, the team is on the process of getting protection rights from Kenya Industrial Protection Institute and is seeking partnerships with companies like Toyota Kenya and DT Dobie. They plan to develop a racing car soon. Once this off road car is developed fully, it will cost KES 250,000- 300,000 and be sold to big companies and individuals.

Their advice to aspiring engineers is that nothing comes easy. Hard work is the determining factor and, once an opportunity and resources are given with support from universities, innovative ideas like this one can go far.

by Mercy Nduati{

Young engineers build an amazing off road 150 cc car

Students Engineers

HOT POINT

ESA’s annual dinner

University of Nairobi Engineering Student Association (ESA), held their annual dinner on September

27, 2014 at the Laico Regency, Nairobi. TATA group sponsored the dinner. The theme was ‘Harmonizing Engineering Leadership Entrepreneurship.’

The students’ dinner had Eng. Riungu of Tsavo Power as the Chief Guest. He delivered a keynote speech on the emerging opportunities for engineers in the energy sector, a key drive to Kenya’s economy. The dinner also sought to re-launch The Student Engineer, a student journal that offers insights into energy, telecommunication and infrastructure.

The Chief Guest noted that ‘The graduate engineer will have to undergo additional

three years training after their university education. This will be put into force once the Engineers’ Board of Kenya (EBK) implements proposals to set up a post graduate engineers’ training institution. This will prepare the graduates for the job market and fast track the process of upgrading their status from graduate to professional engineers. Only about 8700 engineers are registered and the bulks at about 7000 are still graduate engineers, the other 1700 are professional engineers.

‘This training will help students evade challenges when it comes to training after college and job search in this competitive industry. Projects like the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport project, Standard Gauge Rail project among others are coming up with great opportunities. The Kenyan

engineer will participate in design and implementation of these projects. These are the best opportunities to prove that engineering is a worthy career,’ he added.

TATA group committed to providing training to 50 students at the request of Prof Patts Odira, the engineering department dean at the University of Nairobi. ESA will be holding its sports day and career fair in February 2015. As part of the ESA executive committee, I want to thank the guests, sponsors, individuals, organizations, companies and students that made the day a success. To Tsavo Power, TATA group, Eng. Orege, The University of Nairobi and the Kenya Engineer group, receive our deepest and fond gratitude for your support and participation.

By Chelal Evans Kimutai, Geospatial{Representative, ESA

Eng. Julius Riungu (right) Tsavo power with Professor Patts Odira Dean of Engineering, UON during ESA’s annual dinner in Nairobi


IEK Mombasa Branch visits Engineering companies

It is the ideal and objectives of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) to promote, encourage and improve the

application of engineering to technical and other related practices. IEK also facilitates the exchange of information and ideas on technical and other related matters.

It is on the backdrop of these ideals and objectives that IEK organized courtesy calls to the main engineering companies in the coastal region. On 24th September 2014, the Branch visited Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) where we met with more than 70 Engineers or registerable Engineers. This was followed by a visit to Kenya Power on 9th October 2014 where we met with 17 Engineers or Registerable Engineers.

The visit was designed to exchange information concerning the different and complementing duties of the IEK and Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK). In these visits the Branch shares the activities that it undertakes and challenges the members to play a more active role in the growth and furtherance of application of engineering in all aspects of their work.

Alongside this, they were made aware of the process of professional registration and the Engineers Bill. Emphasis was made on requirement to attend the PIP seminar to equip members on the necessary requirement for registration. Goals and objectives of the different Chapters (Women

and Young Engineers) were shared and relevant members were also encouraged to join these groups.

Below are some concerns raised from these Visits and the responses given by IEK.• Feeling that the process of registration is too rigid and controlled.Members were encouraged to participate or attend the PIP Seminar so that they can be aware of the requirements of the registration. There is a lot of good will from the examiners and they have the desire to register and form Engineers appropriately.

• EBK should play a proactive role is accreditation of courses.A lot of communication is ongoing concerning the accreditation and a lot of ground has been covered. Universities/

Colleges are aware of the elements that they need to focus on.

• IEK should look at possibilities of members paying through Mpesa.The Institution is looking into it and this mode of payment will be available soon.

• EBK should appoint inspectors who can visit sites to ensure qualified Engineers are undertaking the works.

• Create more awareness of the on-going apprenticeship.

• IEK should be clear on the advantages of Engineers joining the Institution as members.• How many Engineers do we have in the region? Do we have the capacity to ensure we achieve Vision 2030 as a region?

General Manager Technical Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Eng. Joseph Atonga(left) addressing KPA Engineers in Mombasa during a visit by the institution and Chairman Mombasa branch Eng. Julius Odumbe following the proceedings.

Kenya Ports Authority Engineers attending an engineers forum orgernized by the IEK Mombasa branch officials, the forum took place at KPA offices Mombasa.

IEK



IEK

FUNCTIONS & CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

Collins Juma Chairperson

R Chepkwony Member

N Matalanga Member

H Amaje Member

H Ndugah Member

E Mwangi Member

TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING

J M Riungu Chairperson

DISCIPLINARY & DISPUTE RESOLUTION

W R Okubo Chairperson

R K Kosgei Member

F Ngokonyo Member

E Mwongera Member

R Apollo Member

WOMEN ENGINEERS CHAPTER

R Kungu Chairperson

M Ogai Member

G Onyango Member

E C Ruto Member

J Mutulili Member

YOUNG ENGINEERS CHAPTER

G Onyango Chairperson

R Maswan Member

M Mukabane Member

G Gikuhi

Member

E Wanyonyi Member

ADVOCACY, PUBLICITY & JOURNAL COMMITEE

A Sang Chairperson

J Mutulili Member

J Tanui Member

E Mwangi

Member

T Washika

Member

INDUSTRIALIZATION ENVIRONMENT AND

QUALITY ASSURANCE COMMITEE

H Ndugah Chairpeson

M O Jura Member

W Kahoro Member

K Makudiuh Member

S Kitema Member

FINANCE AND ADMNISTRATION

R K Kosgei Chairperson

M E Okonji Member

R Kungu Member

M Shiribwa Member

R K Chepkwony Member

MEMBERS OF IEK COMMITTEES

MEMBERS OF IEK COMMITTEES

IEK COUNCIL MEMBERS

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

M Okonji Chairperson

M Shiribwa Member

W R Okubo Member

R Kungu Member

S Charagu Member

J Nyaguti Member

NAME POSITION

R K Kosgei Chairperson

M E Okonji 1st Vice Chairperson

R Kungu 2nd Vice Chairperson

M Shiribwa Honorary Secretary

R K Chepkwony Honorary Treasurer

J Riungu Immediate Past Chairperson

P Wambua Chairperson Western Branch

J Kioni Chairperson Central Branch

J Odumbe Chairperson Coastal Branch

C G Juma Member

G Onyango Member

J Mutulili Member

H Ndugah Member

N Matalanga Member

A Sang Member

E Mwangi Co-Opted

W R Okubo Co-Opted

kenya engineer nov dec 2014

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