Committee fails to end geothermal wrangles

By MOSES NJAGIH

The Senate committee on Energy met the management of the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) in a bid to end boardroom wrangles that have threatened the generation of cheaper geothermal power.

However, the committee was forced to adjourn the proceedings as GDC board Chairman Simon Gicharu, who is at loggerheads with the company’s CEO Silas Simiyu, was said to be out of the country and thus could not attend the meeting.

Committee Chairman, the Baringo Senator Gideon Moi said they had decided to reschedule the meeting with the board members for two weeks, when Mr Gicharu is expected to have been back in the country.

Mr Moi said it was in the interest of the committee to ensure that any differences at the company do not thwart the positive prospect that the country has for the generation of geothermal power, which if exploited, would result to cheaper and competitive power.

“We need to ensure that our power is cheap if we are to remain competitive as a country. We cannot afford to hurt our GDP by frustrating the geothermal production,” he said.

He added: “As a committee, we want GDC to achieve their goals and give us the alternative and cheaper power.”

Moi stressed on the need to end the boardroom wrangles.

“We do not want this great potential to be spoilt by wrangles that can be sorted out within the board,” he added.

He spoke after the closed door meeting with the management team, led by Mr Simiyu.