Commercial fish farming secures Kenyan farmers' earnings

After going through seven years of repeated low maize and bean yields, John Kabiru, a farmer in Nakuru County, about 180 kilometres northwest of Nairobi, sought for a solution.   He solely depended on sale of the crops to take care of his family but the losses were suppressing his efforts to gain economic freedom.   So in 2010, Kabiru took a 3,450 U.S. dollars loan from a Sacco and invested in one fish pond. Since then, he has never looked back despite the challenges of.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 21st October 2014

Kenya: New Thiba Dam to Boost Rice Farming

A Sh13 billion mega dam is to be built on Thiba River in Gichugu constituency to boost rice farming in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme.   The project, which is funded by the Japanese Government, will be undertaken by the National Irrigation Board to end the water shortage at the irrigation scheme and boost food production.   The scheme has been facing various challenges, including inadequate water for irrigation, poor infrastructure and lack of machinery, Deputy Governor.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 21st October 2014

Somalia aims to get oil flowing by 2020

Somalia aims to produce oil within six years, Petroleum Minister Daud Mohamed Omar said on Monday, as he announced plans to reassert control over a sector which has foundered since the outbreak of civil war in 1991.   Hopes that the impoverished East African nation could emulate neighbouring Kenya by discovering and bringing to market offshore resources have been kept on ice by long-running territorial disputes between regional authorities.   The Ministry of Petroleum.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 21st October 2014

Kenyan farmers to join other delegates in world food conference in Turin

Turin, Italy: Over 50 Kenyan farmers will join other delegates in Italy Wednesday next week in a weeklong conference that celebrates indigenous farming around the world. The conference that has been celebrated for the past ten years comes as debate to allow genetically modified food rages in Kenya two years after the banning of all GMO products. 3,000 delegates will be meeting in Turin, Italy, in a conference dedicated to family farming. The event organised by Slow Food International,.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 21st October 2014

Kibaran Resources, CSIRO identify 3D graphene printing opportunities

Kibaran Resources’ (ASX:KNL) 50%-owned subsidiary 3D Graphtech has identified two potentially scalable manufacturing techniques for the production of graphene and graphite at low cost and high volumes. Shares in the company should trade higher on the study results, which also identified a pathway for the development of graphene inks for fused filament fabrication 3D printing.   Discussions are underway regarding an extended partnership with CSIRO to conduct further.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 21st October 2014

New US$ 57m Isimba Hydropower Dam in Uganda to be complete in 3 years

Preliminary works on Isimba Hydropower Dam that will add 183MW of power into Uganda’s national grid kicked off last month, with construction works scheduled for three years. Construction of the Kayunga District-based dam will benefit from government’s counterpart funding of 15%, in addition to a low interest loan acquired by the Government of Uganda from Chinese government, through Chinese Exim Bank. The Isimba Hydropower Dam project will be set up on 37,000 acres of.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 20th October 2014

Construction of a new oil terminal in Kenya to cost US$ 120m

  Niras, an engineering firm based in Denmark has been awarded a contract by the Kenya Ports Authority for the design of a new oil terminal that will replace the existing Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT). Once the design stage of the project is over, another firm will undertake construction of the terminal at a cost of US$ 120m. Niras is expected to design the new terminal at a cost of US$ 1.7m. Niras will also be in charge of supervising the construction works of the project. The new.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 20th October 2014

Al Nowais Investment to build Egypt s first coal-fired power plant

Egypt’s first coal-fired power plant will be based in the Suez area, and will be constructed by Al Nowais Investments, a company based in Abu Dhabi. There are also reports to set up a jetty in the nearby so it will be possible to import coal required for the new coal-fired power plant. The country has been facing severe problems in regard to power generation and it should be a relief once this 3,960 MW power station has been complete. Aparently, the feasibility study for the.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 20th October 2014

Siemens to install and commission Egypt s Suez Thermal Power Plant

Siemens will now supply electrical components for the Suez Thermal Power Plant in Egypt. The latter was supplied by East Delta Electricity Production Company’s (EDEPC). Siemens has also been tasked with the installation and commissioning of equipment supplied by this company. The 650MW Suez Thermal Power Plant is located in Suez in Egypt, and will be commissioned in 2016. Part of the electrical components to be supplied by Siemens include cables and uninterruptible power.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 20th October 2014

Construction of four Tanzania Ruaha mini-grids starts

Construction of first of the four mini-grids in Tanzania has begun from last week. This is according to the three companies undertaking the project. The Ruaha Power mini-grids will be constructed and installed in Kilosa District and Morogoro region in the country. The power from these mini-grids will be distributed and sold to clients at pre-payment terms. The four Malolo mini-grids will generate a total of 300kw. Each mini-grid will be expected to provide 75Kw to serve 2, 500.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 20th October 2014

Kenya oil deposits to hit 1billion barrels

 Kenya’s recoverable oil reserves in the country’s tertiary rift basin is likely to exceed one billion barrels, the ministry of energy and petroleum said on Friday.   Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum David Chirchir said the four recently discovered oil wells that were drilled by Tullow Kenya in the Lokichar sub-basin have raised the country’s recoverable oil reserves from 300 million barrels to 600 million.   “However, with further.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 20th October 2014

Swala Energy to raise $4.4M to fund activities in Kenya and Tanzania

    Swala Energy Limited has announced a Share Purchase Plan to raise up to A$5.0 million (US $4.4 million) to fund additional near-term work on the Company’s Tanzanian and Kenyan licences, as well as for business development and general administrative purposes. The c(SPP) is to be offered to all eligible shareholders who can subscribing for up to A$15,000 of new fully paid ordinary shares in Swala without incurring brokerage.   The SPP issue price will be.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 20th October 2014