Kenya has constituted a 35-member working group to accelerate the commercialisation of Kenya’s oil discoveries in Turkana County.
Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi said the newly created body, named the First Oil Technical, Commercial and Legal Working Committee, is tasked with steering the country toward Full Field Development (FFD) in Blocks T6 and T7 of the Lokichar Basin. The committee will also guide the establishment of a crude oil export route, a critical step as the government pushes to begin exports by 2026.
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Role of committee
According to a Gazette Notice dated August 22, the committee’s mandate is wide-ranging. It includes: Negotiating technical and commercial agreements between the State and oil contractors to safeguard national interests, advising and drafting enabling policies, statutory, and regulatory frameworks for oil and gas development, reviewing and overseeing implementation of agreements with contractors, approving a roadmap for phased First Oil development, recommending a land access framework to guarantee secure, long-term use of land for oil projects, Submitting quarterly progress reports to the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary.
The committee will also be empowered to engage external experts, request documents through the Principal Secretary, and prepare both quarterly and annual reports. A secretariat, drawn from its membership, will manage reporting and documentation.
Joseph Otieno has been appointed chairperson of the committee, which also includes representatives from government, legal, technical, and commercial backgrounds such as Joseph Wafula, Abigail Mwangi, Edward Kinyua (Eng.), Sharon Rotich, Robert Kibiwott, Duncan Ndegwa, Leah Hadidah Jara, Loise Thugge, Michael Karanja, Sheila Tonui, and Dr. Duncan Hunda, among others.
While the duration of the committee’s tenure has not been specified, it will operate under the Petroleum Act, Cap. 308, and remain accountable to the Cabinet Secretary. The Lokichar Basin, part of Kenya’s Tertiary Rift, has been a focal point of oil exploration since the country’s first commercial discoveries in 2012. The government is currently working to secure cabinet and parliamentary approval of a Field Development Plan (FDP), which will be central to unlocking commercial production.
With the establishment of the committee, the Ministry of Energy hopes to fast-track the transition from exploration to production, ensuring Kenya captures the economic benefits of its petroleum resources in line with Vision 2030.