Awaiting birth: energy cities in Kenya's arid lands
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| Pix. Vision2030 Secretariat |
THEY WERE CONCEIVED AND designed as resort cities, -sites meant to enhance Kenya’s tourism by extending
the menu of products and destinations. They are rich in tourism attractions. However,
recent developments point to growth of mega cities where tourism will play a
second fiddle to other economic activities.
In a bid to stem migration
into the already congested cities and also to enhance and diversify tourism sector,
Kenya will build several resort cities in the next couple of years. According
to Kenya’s development blue print, vision 2030, the cities should be in place
by 2030.
The cities will be located
in Lamu,Kilifi and Kwale counties at the Coast and Isiolo and Turkana counties up
country.
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| Conceptual designs of Isiolo and Turkana Resort Cities: mega cities waiting to happen |
However, the other three
namely Lamu, Isiolo and Turkana resort cities appears set for bigger things.
The three are located on the Lamu Port South Sudan Transport Corridor (LAPSSET).
This corridor will include a standard gauge railway line from Lamu Port to Juba
in South Sudan, an highway linking the same locations and an Oil pipeline from
South Sudan Oil fields to the Lamu port. See http://eaers.blogspot.com/2012/02/kenya-to-begin-construction-of-gateway.html
Then developments in the
energy sector, changed all that, the corridor is beginning to look like the
energy corridor of east Africa. For one, oil has been discovered in Turkana and depending
on whether its commercial viability is confirmed, which according to experts is
fait accompli, will change this
corridor into an energy corridor, say analysts. Apart from oil, Turkana is also
home to Africa’s largest wind power energy project, the 300MW Lake Turkana wind
Power project. Seehttp://eaers.blogspot.com/2012/01/africas-largest-wind-power-farm-set-to.html
Studies are
ongoing in Isiolo to establish the viability of a proposed 150MW wind power
project while another is also on-going
for a 300MW wind power project in the neighbouring Marsabit county. See http://eaers.blogspot.com/2012/02/kenya-turns-to-geothermal-and-wind.html.
The Lamu port will
comprise among others, oil refineries in addition to oil export jetties. In
effect the entire corridor will produce, distribute or transport, and export
energy products. Given the potential for energy to attract mega dollars analysts
see these cities growing into mega energy cities, where tourism will play a
secondary role. Not that anyone would complain.
Initially the (US$22billion)
LAPSSET corridor was expected to generate an additional three percent a year to
Kenya’s GDP when completed. However, with the discovery oil, it shall be
expected to generate more Experts are yet to place a finger on the figure.
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| A dreamer's Paradise. Pix |
As resort cities, the three cities are endowed with rich natural heritage
such as wildlife natural parks. Isiolo resort city for instance is
bordered to the South by the world famous Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, to the
north by Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserve, and Samburu Game Park and
Ewaso Ng’iro River to the west. Other under exploited parks that stand to gain
from the Isiolo resort city are; Mt Marsabit, Ruma; Rahole, Kitui, Bisanadi, and
Kora parks. These parks abound with rare wildlife and other attractions including
beautiful scenery.
Isiolo
was catapulted to international fame by Movies that were shot at Shaba over the
last two decades. These include; born Free, Out Of Africa, To Walk with Lions
and CBS TV blockbuster series, Survivor Africa. In effect Isiolo has scenery that rivals Hollywood
The
city will be built on a 6000 acres (2,630Ha) site at Kipsing Gap, 20KM outside Isiolo
town. Preliminary estimates show that Isiolo city will cost kshs18.9 billion
(US$220 million. The government has indicated that city will be developed on a Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) basis. The government is about to complete an international
airport in Isiolo. It is also a junction city of the Mombasa-Nairobi- Addis
Ababa highway and Lamu-Addis Ababa-railway line.
It is not clear yet what are the estimates for
Turkana resort city located at Eliye springs, on the shores of Lake Turkana, will
cost more or less the same amount developed on the same terms as Isiolo city.
Lake Turkana hosts three National parks namely: Sibiloi, Central Island and
Southern island national parks. Loiyangalani the site of Africa’s largest wind
power farm is located within to the South east of Lake Turkana.
Designed
to mimic other world renowned resort cities in the world such as the sun city
in Durban, South Africa and Dubai, the city will boast of; three and six-star
hotels, a local art and craft museum, theatres for international festivals and
international sports, Casinos discotheques, swimming pools, conference centres.
These are mega cities waiting to be
born!
this is so inspiring
ReplyDeleteKenya has been quite inspiring in the recent past
ReplyDeleteIf only we adhere to the good plans and hope for impact, not losing direction
DeleteThe plans await the completion of the three berths at Lamu port
ReplyDelete