James Orengo Signs MoU For SGR Extension During India Trip With William Ruto

• Governor James Orengo, Stephen Sang of Nandi and Hillary Barchok of Bomet represented the lake region in the trip to India
• They appraised the president on two MoUs they had signed, one for the establishment of a 280mw solar energy park
• The second MoU is to extend the existing SGR from Naivasha to Malaba while creating a network connecting 14 lake region counties

Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, leverages more than three years of expertise in financial, business, and technology research, providing profound insights into both Kenyan and global economic trends.

A high-level delegation from the Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) made significant strides in fostering bilateral relations between Kenya and India as they presented ambitious Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to President William Ruto.

Led by James Orengo, the delegation, comprising Governors Stephen Sang of Nandi and Hillary Barchok of Bomet, aimed to apprise Ruto of the collaborative projects set to enhance Kenya's infrastructure and energy sectors after signing MOUs for SGR extension and a solar park with India.

"I led a delegation from Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) including Governors Stephen Sang of Nandi and Dr. Hillary Barchok (Bomet) to appraise President William Ruto on the MOUs LREB has signed with Indian government ministries and departments ahead of a meeting between President Ruto and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India," Orengo tweeted.

Solar Park

The first MoU was signed to establish a Solar Energy Park with a capacity of 280mw, with each of the 14 counties under the LREB umbrella slated to receive between 10 to 50mw, signifying a transformative leap toward sustainable energy access for these regions.

SGR extension

The second MOU seeks to extend the existing Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from the Naivasha to Malaba corridor, with the core focus on the creation of an interlinking railway network that will seamlessly connect the 14 counties within the LREB.

This ambitious railway network aims to bolster transportation infrastructure, facilitate trade, and foster economic growth across the LREB counties.

Ruto's say

President Ruto has thrown his weight behind both project concepts, emphasising the significance of further discussions with India's government.

Ruto secures 7 deals at COP 28 conference in Dubai

In other related news, Ruto's leadership took centre stage at the COP28 in Dubai as Kenya sealed landmark deals worth a staggering KSh 680 billion (approximately $4.48 billion) in green energy investments.

One of the major deals is with Fortescue, a global green energy company headquartered in Australia, which will collaborate with Kenya for a green ammonia project worth $1.5 b (KSh 229.8 billion) to bolster energy security while diminishing import dependency.

Ruto also secured $600 million (KSh 91.9 billion) for a data centre at Olkaria KenGen, Konza, and US investors are set to establish a 200mw data centre powered by geothermal energy, paving the way for technological innovation in the country and sustainable energy.