President William Ruto, on Friday, November 18, announced a plan to mine coal in Kitui and ban its importation into the country, sentiments that did not sit well with climate change activists.
The head of state detailed that Kenya spends nearly Ksh12 billion annually importing coal from South Africa and Tanzania, yet it has the capability of mining its own product.
"We have our own coal deposits in Kitui, and we can ensure the people benefit from such resources," Ruto announced at the grand opening of the DEVKI Steel Plant in Kwale County.
Ruto was accused of doublespeak as he contradicted his resolve to halt continued reliance on fossil fuels. At the United Nations 27th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP27) event in Egypt, the head of state stated that fossil fuels were no longer tenable.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal is responsible for about 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuels.
While addressing world leaders and climate change stakeholders about Kenya's tremendous hydrocarbon and coal deposits, Ruto stated that the country opted for a 93 per cent green electricity grid despite coal being able to fuel the development engines.
"Instead of struggling to power industrialisation using dirty energy, which is costly and is destroying our planet, we want to make a case for developed economies to decarbonise their production by directing industrial investments to Africa and using clean energy to manufacture for the world," Ruto detailed.
At the convention, Ruto emphasized that Kenya had foregone polluting industrialisation and growth opportunities and was deliberately invested in clean, green energy.
"I think leaning on fossil fuel is not an option in the face of the reality of what we know is happening to our globe.
"We need to make difficult decisions, and the rest of the world needs to help Africa make the difficult decisions work, with the transition of our energy going green," Ruto reiterated in an interview at the COP27.
In his address, the head of state attributed the current drought situation in the country to four consecutive seasons of failed rainfall, largely blamed on climate change due to global carbon emissions.
In his maiden speech as the fifth President, Ruto also highlighted the urgency to deal with what he described as a “climate emergency” that is devastating the Horn of Africa.
The head of state shared his foresight of Kenya fully transitioning to green energy by 2028.
