Officials from Brazil’s energy regulator are in Nairobi for talks with Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), in a visit that comes at a time when the local energy sector is under pressure.
The delegation from Brazilian Electrical Energy Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) met EPRA Acting Director General Joseph Oketch on Tuesday for discussions on how the two sides can work together, especially in clean energy and sector reforms.
The team includes ANEEL director Fernando Mosna and advisor Christiano Rocha. Their visit follows an agreement signed in Brazil in March, which opened the door for closer cooperation between the two regulators.
During the meeting, Oketch walked them through how Kenya’s electricity sector is run and the changes the country is trying to make, including expanding access to affordable power.
But even as these talks go on, the energy sector back home is facing growing scrutiny.
There have been concerns over fuel pricing and how some decisions are being made, especially after reports of problems in fuel stock data.
The issue led to the exit of senior officials, including former EPRA boss Daniel Kiptoo, as well as top managers at Kenya Pipeline.
At the centre of the debate is a fuel deal worth about KSh4 billion that was brought in outside the usual government-to-government arrangement.
On the other hand, the legislative authorities are also considering possible amendments to the existing law, which will increase the frequency at which prices on fuel are evaluated, particularly in situations where global prices change rapidly.
Despite all of this, the government claims that its efforts to expand the energy sector and develop renewable sources of power continue.
Thus far, the arrival of the Brazilian delegation can be considered one of the ways for improving through knowledge exchange.