Kenya:

Kengen Plan to Resettle Olkaria Maasai Begins (AllAfrica)

Kenya Electricity Generating Company Limited (Kengen) has started a census ahead of the planned Sh5 billion resettlement of Maasais from Olkaria in Naivasha. The validation exercise is meant to establish the number of families in the geothermal rich area before they are moved out.

The power producer is planning to put up a 140 MWe geothermal plant which is expected to negatively affect the community living in the area through noise and emissions.

Kengen's assistant manager resource development Cyrus Karingithi said the last census was done in 2009 and the number of people could have risen.

"It will cost around Sh5 billion. This is one of the outstanding issues in the planned resettlement," he said. A consultant has been hired to conduct the census in conjunction with chiefs.

Naivasha DC Mohammed Abass said the resettlement is part of efforts towards achieving Vision 2030. He said the move will verify the current number of families living in Olkaria.

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