Taita taveta: Taita Taveta County has emerged as a potential frontier in Kenya’s efforts to reduce its reliance on imported coal, following fresh assessments by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) wing overseeing coal development. Kenya currently imports an estimated two million tonnes of coal annually, mainly from Tanzania, South Africa, and Mozambique, at a cost of about Sh4 billion each year, underscoring a growing energy security and industrial cost challenge.
According to Kenya News Agency, new geological data indicates that four out of the 31 coal exploration blocks identified nationally traverse Taita Taveta County, placing the region at the center of renewed efforts to tap local coal resources. This comes as the government moves to operationalize its coal policy framework, including the recent April gazettement on coal utilization, which opens the door for structured public participation and regulatory oversight on exploration, extraction, and end use.
During a courtesy call on Taita Taveta Deputy Governor Christine Saru Kilalo, an EPRA delegation led by Victor Ochieng said communities in the county will play a central role in shaping how the resource is developed. Ochieng noted that the new policy direction is aligned with Kenya’s broader industrialization agenda, particularly in supporting energy-intensive sectors such as cement and steel manufacturing.
Manufacturers including Devki Steel Mills in Manga, Taita Taveta, are expected to be key stakeholders in the process as the country seeks to stabilize fuel inputs for heavy industry. At the same time, EPRA emphasized that deployment of clean coal technologies will be critical in addressing environmental and health concerns that have historically slowed coal development in Kenya. The approach mirrors global shifts where coal, though controversial, remains part of transitional energy mixes when paired with emissions control technologies.
Kenya’s coal push has gained renewed momentum amid rising energy demand and the need to lower production costs under the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritizes manufacturing growth. Kilalo said Taita Taveta’s rich natural resource base, including minerals and potential coal deposits, positions the county for accelerated economic transformation if managed sustainably. “If properly harnessed, these resources can significantly boost county revenues through royalties while creating jobs and improving livelihoods,” she said.
However, the Deputy Governor raised concerns over delays in the transfer of devolved energy functions, noting that only two out of the 20 constitutionally assigned functions have been fully handed over to counties, limiting their capacity to effectively manage and benefit from local energy resources. The renewed focus on coal comes against the backdrop of Kenya’s previous attempts to develop the resource, including stalled projects such as the Mui Basin coal initiative in Kitui County, which faced regulatory, environmental, and community concerns.
With the new utilization framework now in place, the national government is banking on greater public participation, clearer regulations, and improved technology to unlock the sector while balancing economic and environmental priorities. For Taita Taveta, the stakes are high: success could position the county as a critical node in Kenya’s industrial fuel supply chain, while failure could reinforce long-standing concerns over extractive resource governance.
