The chief executive officer of the Kenya Manufacturers Association (KMA) Phyllis Wakiaga has weighed in on the vexed question of the cost of power in Kenya.
Speaking during an exclusive interview on KTN Monday, the KMA boss appealed to the Kenyan government to consider reducing the cost of power.
Wakiaga contended that the competitiveness of Kenyan businesses in the region hinge in part to the cost of power which she said was a bit high.
She called on the government to follow through on its commitment to reduce the cost of power to single digits.
"For us to be more competitive in the region, it is important for the power cost to come down, " she said.
The cost of power shot up by 15 per cent in May this year.
Pledges by the Kenyan government to ensure that the cost of power is more affordable are yet to be followed through.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter maintains that efforts were being made to fulfil that promise but warned that it would take some time.
"We have been working on modalities to bring the cost down but it is progressive and cannot happen in one day. We have PPAs (power purchase agreements) with power producers and they are long term. What we are doing is what will be coming to the grid must be cheaper,” he said.