Kenya;the Sondu-Miriu Hydropower Project
Japanese Involvement in the Project
December of 1985
Blueprint of the hydro project was drawn up by the Japan International
Cooperation Agency, an Foreign Ministry affliate, and Kenya's Lake Basin Development Authority.
June of 1986
Engineering service provided by JBIC (Japan Bank for International
Cooperation). ¥666 million are forwarded to Kenya.
October of 1989
An initial ODA loan agreement for research purposes (68 million), was
signed by Tokyo and Nairobi.
December of 1995
Kenya officially asked Japan for an ODA loan to implement the project.
March of 1997
The Loan Agreement is finalized for Phase I, and ¥693 billion was
concluded on the official document. About ¥443 billion were allocated to aid the project. Nippon Koei Corp, the consultants, charged a ¥187 billion fee.
March of 1999
Construction works began. (To be completed in 2003)
September of 1999
Japan's Foreign Ministry gave Nairobi an advance notice promising to
grant the phase-2 portion of the loan.
February of 2000
Two Japanese journalists were arrested for covering an ``illegal'' gathering
of local residents.
December of 2000
A Kenyan freelance journalist was reportedly shot at by local police
officers while in his car, arrested and later charged with, among other things, inciting local residents to oppose the project and trespassing on the Kenyan authorities' property.
January of 2001
A technical committee was set up in Kenya to pursue a regular
exchange of opinions among Kenyan authorities, local residents and NGOs.
July of 2001
Continuation of funding is under consideration.
2003
Target date for completion of the Sondu-Miriu Hydropower Project.
The total approximate amount that Japan will have paid: ¥17,000,000,000 ($136,000,000.)
Employer: KenGen (Kenya Electricity Generating Company Ltd.) (Kenya)
Engineer: Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Lot I-1 contractors: Konoike (Japan)/Veidekke (Norway)/Murray & Roberts (South Africa) (JV)
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