NECSA Kenya Memorandum on the KETRACO ESMF
- Category: NECSA Memoranda
- Date 26-02-2024
On the 21st and 22nd February 2024, the National Civil Society Alliance of Kenya (NECSA-K) held a forum with its members to review the Environmental and Social Management Framework of the Kenya Electricity and Transmission Company Limited. The forum attended by NECSA-K member organizations such as the Forest Action Network (FAN), WWF-Kenya, Africa Nature Organization, IDEA-Africa, Baringo County WRUA Council, Friends of Kinangop Plateau, CISSTA Kenya, Sustainable Development Initiatives, Transfo Greenworld, Ugunja Community Resource Centre and the Migori Civic Local Affairs Network, generated a few insights with the most notable ones being:
- The Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) aligns well with the established format and standards expected of an environmental and social safeguard document. The document captures key components such as principles, safeguard procedures, institutional arrangements, grievance redress mechanisms, risk impacts and management, capacity building, as well as monitoring and evaluation.
- Security for infrastructure/major installations such as substations is not mentioned under planning of the national grid. Also, how the institution’s security system links with the local security system is missing. NECSA Kenya notes that power
- generation is a national resource that needs to be protected to ensure uninterrupted supply, and prevent possible dangers.
- The document does not identify some of the unique cultural sites along the power lines for intentional conservation and preservation.
- Power infrastructure pose a major threat to large birds through electrocution and collision with transmission power lines. The section does not acknowledge or outline how new infrastructure shall be designed to factor the safety of large birds. The document should outline that all new infrastructure shall be designed. Pylons and power transmission lines should be designed in a way that they do not pose danger to large birds.
The document generated at this sitting can be downloaded here