THE construction of a $1.2 billion (Sh103.2 billion) hydro-electric power project in Othaya, Nyeri county, which is financed by four tea factories and the Kenya Tea Development Authority, will start this month. The mega project, Gura Hydro-power Station, jointly financed by KTDA, Gathuthi , Chinga, Iriani and Gitugi tea factories in Othaya and Tetu, will take one and half years to complete.
For the last two years, farmers at factories have been committing Sh2 of every kilogramme of tea they delivered to the factories for the project. The project's chairman, Ephantus Mukundi, said that the project will generate five megawatts of electric power, of which two will be used to run the factories while the balance will be sold to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company. “We expect to be raising about Sh3 million a month from the sale of the excess power,” the chairman added.
Mukundi, who was speaking during Gathuthi Tea Factory annual general meeting, said the power plant will receive water from Gura River, whose source is the Aberdare forest, and come down to the plant through a six-kilometre canal. “About 75 per cent of the farmers in whose land the canal will be passing through have already been compensated with about Sh27 million having been paid to them,” he added. ''The canal, which will have 2.5-kilometre of its length in the Aberdares, will be open with a fence around it.There will be other piped canals across rivers and roads,'' he said.
Mukundi added that the project, to be undertaken by Cheng Hsiung International from China, has been assessed and approved by the government. ''The project is owned by the five shareholders, each having 20 per cent shareholding. It has the benefits of an assurance of continuous power supply to the four factories with no interruptions, generation of income from the sale of excess power and giving them control of their electricity cost,'' he said.
