The Government through the National Assembly plans to give the Energy and Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA) more powers to chart its course
The changes are expected to be carried through amendments to the 2019 Energy Act that gives effect to the recommendations of the Presidential Taskforce on the Review of Power Purchase Agreements.
The redefinition of roles is set to address the overlapping functions between EPRA and its parent Ministry.
According to the task force recommendations, EPRA should independently regulate the sector without directions from the Ministry of Energy or other entities.
The Ministry of Energy’s roles should meanwhile be focused on national energy planning policy setting and allow for the independence of the sector.
At the same time, donor funds for project implementation should meanwhile be disbursed to relevant implementing agencies and not be administered by the Ministry of Energy (MOE).
Other institutional changes recommended by the Taskforce include having Kenya Power as the lead utility in the formulation and development of the Low-Cost Power Development Plan (LCPDP).
Additionally, the Taskforce wants the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) to focus on its core mandate of rural electrification.
Already, some of the task force’s recommendations have already been implemented including the transfer of Kenya Power’s transmission system to the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO).
The amendments to the Energy Act are carried under an omnibus Miscellaneous Amendments Bill that seeks to make marginal changes to 58 Acts.
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