Entrusted by the Ministry of Commerce, Hydrochina Huadong organized an investigation team composed of 12 experts to go to Kenya for site investigation for the China-aided Chemosit Hydropower Project from January 14 to 30, 2013. The investigation team completed in Kenya such work as data collection, site investigation, survey of site topography and hydrological cross-sections, preliminary geological exploration and conceptual design. In addition, the team discussed several times with the Ministry of Energy of Kenya in conjunction with the Economic and Commercial Counsellor抯 Office of the Embassy of the People抯 Republic of China in the Republic of Kenya on the project assistance, responsibilities and obligations of the Chinese and Kenya sides, project construction management, investigation and design work to be carried out in next step, project scheme, and data collection conditions and they finally reached a consensus. On the afternoon of January 28, Mr. Shi Bin, the team leader, and Mr. Isaac N.Kiva, director of the New Energy Department of the Ministry of Energy of Kenya signed the minutes of meeting in the office of the Ministry of Energy of Kenya. Fruitful results were achieved during the investigation, which laid a solid foundation for the construction of the China-aided small hydropower project in Kenya in next step.

The Republic of Kenya is located in East Africa, where the equator goes across the central Kenya, and the East African Great Rift Valley runs from north to south. Kenya has a total land area of approximately 580,000 km?/SPAN> and there are many plateaus with an average altitude of 1500m. The peak of the country is Mount Kenya, 5199m above sea level.  

Kenya is one of the sub-Saharan African countries with better economic base, and is an important member country of the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). At present, Kenya‘s power supply mainly comes from hydropower, thermal power, and geothermal power, and the actual effective installed capacity is 1429MW (by May 2011), of which, hydropower accounting for 52% of the total capacity is a major power source. Currently, about 77% of the Kenyan people cannot use electricity, and especially in the rural areas, the rate of power supply is about 14%. Power shortages are very common and have directly affected the production and living of the residents in rural areas. Therefore, the demands for electric power development become increasingly urgent in Kenya.

During the site investigation for the Chemosit Hydropower Project, the team obtained great supports from the Ministry of Energy and local Tea Association of Kenya, as a result, the site investigation was conducted smoothly and meantime the safety of the personnel of site investigation, survey and geological exploration was ensured. The members of the Investigation Team overcame such unfavorable conditions as the tight schedule, the heavy tasks, the harsh natural conditions (such as burning sun, time difference, and mosquito, etc.) and successfully completed the investigation tasks.