Kenya Engineer Magazine, March - April 2013 by kenya Engineer

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CONTENTS

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26.

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News.........................................................6 Feature......................................................28 Technology................................................43 Profile ...........................................................44 Your Say........................................................46

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Pictorial.....................................................48 AAK...........................................................52 IEK.............................................................59 Students.....................................................60

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

A Definitive Publication of Engineers in East Africa & Beyond, since 1972

MARCH/APRIL 2013

Editorial Committee: A A McCorkindale – Chairman F W Ngokonyo - Vice-Chairman N O Booker J N Kariuki Prof M Kashorda Allan Muhalia A W Otsieno S K Kibe M Majiwa J Mutilili Editorial Assistant: Peninah Njakwe Editors: Articulate Edits Design & Layout: Daniel Wakaba Ndung’u Sales & Marketing: Roseline Okayo Joyce Ndamaiyu Phylis Muthoni Anastacia Kodi Oliver Elman

Editor’s Note Energy: KenGen switches on 24MW Kindaruma unit while GDC seeks registration and development of its geothermal projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).Ghana puts Africa on good lime light as it’s be home of the World’s 4th largest solar power plant. Roads/ports and airports: The president presides over the groundbreaking of Kenya’s first techno city-Konza city; works to begin on the 2nd container terminal; Kenya and South Sudan governments agree to rehabilitate a link road. Oil: VTTI revives oil storage facility in Mombasa pausing increased competition in the market share in the oil industry;”Oil hunter” discovers natural gas in Northern Kenya; Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline to be replaced. Technology: Analogue switch off date pushed forward; Tech-battle continues as RIM unveils their latest smartphone invention while Apple hits the market with their fourth-generation iPad; GPS tracking technology gets a challenger. Mining: Kenya under pressure to review its mining laws to be aligned to a continentwide initiative.

A A McCorkindale – Chairman Editorial Committee

Next issue will be out by 1st May 2013

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KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS N EWS ORIAL ADVERTORIAL

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Our vision To be Africa’s leading provider of cutting-edge solutions delivered with wo r l d - c l a s s s e r v i c e providing utmost satisfaction for our valued customers. Solutions are critical to customers and thus we place great importance in providing reliable state-of-art products.

Security Solutions EAG stands as one of the largest security solution providers in East Africa. We design, install and maintain fully integrated electronic security solutions e.g. CCTV, intrusion, access control, home automation, perimeter security, fire detention, scanners and barriers. We also deal with installation, design and maintenance of access control systems and a wide range of automatic security barriers such as; boom barriers, swivel doors, full height turnstiles among others. With an extensive range of CCTV cameras, we design video surveillance solutions to increase the level of security in any business environment.

“Trust our experience and experƟse to deliver quality products and services.”

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

Other Services Offered Include: • Installation and maintenance of conventional and addressable fire detention systems. These can be configured to meet the client’s specific requirements. • Installation of high-tech detection equipment which allow effective screening of people and goods entering sensitive areas. • Home automation system-Allows you t connect and control many of the processes and systems in your home from one, easy to use interface. As an ICT company, we also provide structured cabling services for voice and data which is one of the major components of any building infrastructure that requires specialized and structured backbone network.

Company Profile

SAFAL MiTek Ltd

he steel industry in Kenya continues to grow with the latest company in the market being SAFAL MiTek Ltd. SAFAL MiTek Ltd is a Joint venture of Mabati Rolling Mill (MRM) & Mitek Industries South Africa (Pty) Ltd. The company will manufacture light gauge pre-galvanized steel profiles in Athi River, Kenya. These products will be used to manufacture, supply and market the roof truss systems(Trusses, purlins, runners, wind bracings etc) and also other related roofing/building solutions for standard/ customized roofing solutions under the world renowned brand name ULTRASPAN by using in-house design software. About the Joint Venture companies MRM is a flagship company of SAFAL Group serving Africa & other parts of the world since 1961. MRM manufacturers Cold Rolled steel, Galvanized steel, colour coated steel, only manufacturer of Aluminum –Zinc coated steel in Africa & various types of roofing profile sheets etc. MiTek Industries South Africa (Pty) Ltd., a division of the world wide MiTek Group. It’s the leading Roof Truss System supplier in South Africa and the world called ULTRASPAN. A network of over 140 licensed prefabricated roof truss manufacturers, across Southern Africa, provides a competitive and economic solution to even the most complex of roofing problems. This MiTek fabricator network, using MiTek’s state-of-the-art software programs, provides high quality, purpose engineered truss units to satisfy the need of an ever increasingly complex roofing market.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

ULTRASPAN ApplicaƟons include: Residential building, Commercial building, Industrial building, Health centers, Schools, Kiosks, Clinics, Shops, Petrol stations, Low-cost houses, 2/3/4 bed room houses’ Temporary site offices. ULTRASPAN advantages include: Cost effective, Fire resistant, No termite fear, Earthquake resistance, Maintenance free, Ease of use, Lightweight, Stacks easily, No special connection required.

NEWS

Kenya signs Multimillion Dollar Hydroelectric Power Project

h e G o v e r n m e n t o f Ke n ya o n 06/12/2012 signed two loan agreements with the African Development Bank (AfDB) amounting to millions of dollars to finance a major regional hydroelectric power project.

The first loan totaling US $115 million will finance the construction of the multin ational electricity highway between Ethiopia and Kenya, consisting of about 1,068 km of high voltage direct current (HVDC) 500 kV transmission line and associated AC/DC converter stations at Wolayta-Sodo (Ethiopia) and Suswa (Kenya) substations, with a power transfer capacity of up to 2,000 MW. The project will be commissioned in November 2017. The second loan of US $43 million will go towards improving the quality and relevance in engineering faculties in line with Kenya’s Vision 2030 priorities for science, technology and innovation (STI) and human resource aspirations of the East African Community (EAC) integration. The project aims to contribute to an increase in qualified and skilled engineers from 6,350 in 2012 to almost 12,000 by 2017 to drive the key sectors of Vision 2030. The project will target six university constituent colleges and two universities whose core mandate is STI in line with the Kenya Engineering Registration Board (KERB) recommendations.

Super Highway, the AfDB is embarking on another highway – an Energy Super Highway that will facilitate energy trading within the East Africa region. It is also the first step to enabling affordable energy from the region to be traded through the East Africa Power Pool, as far North as Egypt and as far South as SADC [Southern African Development Community] countries, by connecting with the Southern Africa Power Pool.” He reiterated the Bank’s commitment to working with the Kenyan government to enable it to deliver and make an impact on its development activities for the well-being of the Kenyan people.

The loan agreements were signed by Gabriel Negatu, AfDB’s East Africa Regional Director, and Kenya’s Finance Minister Robinson Githae.

ADF Loan of Us $115 Million to Finance Ethiopia-Kenya Electricity Highway Project The hydroelectric power project will ultimately promote power trade and regional integration, contribute to the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) countries’ social and economic development, and reduce poverty in those countries.

Speaking shortly after the signing ceremony, Negatu said, “Following the successful completion of the Thika

“This project will facilitate export of surplus power from Ethiopia to Kenya and therefore increase power supply in

the country,” Githae said. The demand for electricity in East Africa has steadily risen relative to supply, leading to occasional severe power shortages. To alleviate this situation, East African countries must resort to exorbitantly e x p e n s ive p ow e r f r o m e m e r g e n cy generators. However, the region is blessed with a great variety of natural resources, i n p a r t i c u l a r hy d r o p o w e r, m a i n l y concentrated in Ethiopia. The integration of the power systems of the EAPP will enable the development of Ethiopia’s large hydropower resources to enable export and address power shortages throughout the region. The project will position Ethiopia as the main powerhouse and Kenya as the main hub for power trade in the East African region. It will promote power and economic trading as well as regional integration, and will complement some ongoing Bank-financed projects, such as the regional Interconnection of Electric Grids of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Countries, which aims to connect five East African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

Firm Doubles LPG Storage in Town

otal Kenya installed two bulk Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage tanks at a total cost of Sh86 million dollars. The tanks which doubled the storage capacity from 150 tonnes to 300 tonnes are expected to improve availability of filled LPG cylinders and bulk LPG to consumers.

KenGen switch on 24MW unit at Kindaruma Ke nya ’s m a i n p ow e r p r o d u c e r, KenGen switched on a 24 mega watt hydropower unit at Kindaruma power station on 15th of January this year. The station with two installed units had switched off one of the units for upgrading and repair works last year in June. It will now generate 24 mega watts, 20 per cent more power than the 20 megawatts it produced before. The plant located 170 km NE of Nairobi was originally designed with a provision of three turbine generator units but only two vertical Kaplan turbines were installed. The company however intends to add a third unit, a move that will almost double Kindaruma’s output from 40MW in 2011 to 72 by end of this year.

country are Gitaru, has 3 units with a design capacity of 225 MWe; Kiambere, has 2 units with a with a design capacity of 168 MW; Kamburu, has 3 units with a a design capacity of 94.2 MW; Masinga, has 2 units with a design capacity of 40 MW; Sondu Miriu, has 2 units with a design capacity of 60 MW and Turkwel has a design capacity of 106 MW with 4 units installed currently.

K i n d a r u m a ’s f i r s t u n i t w a s commissioned in 1968 making it the first major power station in constructed in the Seven Forks complex and the last unit commissioned in 1968.Power from Kindaruma is transmitted directly to Nairobi or to Kamburu via a 132KV substation.

This follows cries by gas marketers of increased illegal refilling of Liquefied Petroleum Gas. They had called on the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to hasten its efforts in curbing the business. The firm complained of having lost close to 4,000 cylinders through 50 attacks at various retail stations and during transportation. Illegal filling is said to have attributed to most of the explosions caused by cooking gas.ERC has been on a crackdown to curb rising illegal depots especially in the Industrial Area in Nairobi.

Firm signed to build New Coal power station

Other hydropower stations in the

K The staƟon to be powered by coal will be the largest in East Africa, with two turbines each producing 300 megawaƩs. » The Prime Minister

to add 1,500 megawatts of new power capacity by 2019. The Ministry of Energy has been engaged in coal mining since year 2000.The main wells of its focus have been Mui basin of Kitui and Mwingi districts. So far, 40 wells have been drilled and they have intercepted coal seams Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who in 27 wells. The ministry has carried out a signed the agreement at Seoul, said the few tests on samples and established that the new power station is seen playing a key resource is of good quality. role in the Kenyan government’s objective enya’s aim to add to its national grid has been boosted following the close of a deal between South Korea’s Daewoo International and Kenya’s Kenyan Electricity Generating Company to build a Sh11 billion power station in Kilifi County.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY NYERI – MWEIGA ROAD P.O. BOX 657, 10100 – NYERI KENYA Telephone 061- 2050000 EMAIL: info@dkut.ac.ke

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Applications and enquiries should be directed to: Registrar (Academic Affairs) P.O. Box 657 – 10100 Nyeri Cell: 0713-835965 Email: registraraa@dkut.ac.ke

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KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

Better Life Through Technology.

Dean, School of Engineering, P.O. Box 657-10100 Nyeri. Cell: 0713-835965 Email:schoolofengineering@dkut.ac.ke

Kipevu II

Biomass Economy: The Bio Refinery Concept and Fundamentals By Patrick Kimari Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at DeKUT.

Architectural concept of a Demonstration Bio refinery plant for BioRefinex, Canada

rapidly expanding world population, unchecked consumerism and unsustainable ways in resources exploitation are exerting enormous pressure on energy, water and food resources. Globally, anthropogenic climatic change is posing a big threat to mankind and all living things existence on earth. Therefore there is need to adopt sustainable technologies that allows us to meet our current and future development needs while at the same time preserving the environment. One of the emerging technologies that can sustainably bridge the gap between economic growth and environmental sustainability is industrial bio refining. The importance of bio refineries in the energy, fuels and chemicals future of worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economies was underpinned by the importance given to it during the World Economic Forum in 2008 and 2009. Bio

refining was identified as one among other solutions that can sustainably help mitigate the threat of climate change, energy, fuels and chemicals. As a pointer, Toyota Motor Corporation has as self imposed target to having 20% of plastics in each of their vehicles being from bio based sources by the year 2020. But what is bio refining?...bio refining is defined as sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable products. Bio refining takes place in a bio refinery, a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipments to produce fuels, power, heat, materials (animal feed) and value-added chemicals from biomass. One can draw parallels between a bio refinery and a conventional petroleum refinery, a facility which produce multiple fuels and products from crude oil. A bio refinery takes advantage of the various components in biomass and their intermediates.

Exploitation of the various components and their intermediates in the biomass maximize the overall value derived from the biomass feedstock. A bio refinery could, for example, produce one or several low-volume, but high-value, chemical products such as bio plastics and a low-value, but highvolume liquid transportation fuel such as biodiesel or bio ethanol. The high-value products increase the facility profitability; while the highvolume fuels besides contributing to the facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bottom line, it also helps meet the energy needs of the country. A bio refinery also produces electricity and process heat, through combined heat and power (CHP) technology/cogeneration. The power and process heat is for the facility own use with the excess being sold to the utility company. Based on the research work at the

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

Sugar Company Ltd that has processes and products that qualifies it to be referred as a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bio refineryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), research and development work in bio refining is on three platforms bringing together a cluster of technologies and processes. The three platforms are: Biochemical, Thermo chemical and Microorganism. Since bio refining as a concept is built upon the processing of biomass, there is a wide range of feedstock that can sustainably run a bio refinery industry. Some of the feed stocks include but not limited to: sugar/starch crops such as sugarcane, maize/corn and sorghum, vegetable oil which could be pure plant oil (PPO) or waste vegetable oil (WVO), lignocellulosic biomass which is composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin, jatropha, croton and micro algae. Most of the biomass feed stocks are available in Kenya with the most common ones being sugarcane, sorghum and jatropha. There are a number of mature industrial scale technologies that can be used to process the biomass into different finished or intermediate products. These include fermentation, gasification and transesterification (process used

to produce bio diesel). There are new revolutionary methods which are being investigated in the area of biomass-toliquid (BTL) targeted at development of synthetic bio fuels. The fermentation process is mainly used to produce ethanol and intermediate products from such crops like sugarcane. Some biomass feedstock might require pre-treatment (mechanical, steam or chemical) before the fermentation process. Gasification is used to produce gaseous fuel (syngas) through carbonaceous breakdown of biomass. Other technologies available for biomass manipulation include pyrolysis (production of bio oil), hydrogenation, Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis, and anaerobic digestion a process through which biogas is produced. The bio refinery industry is in its nascent state. Kenya has an opportunity to contribute to the global initiatives aimed at making commercial production of bio products from biomass a reality. As a country, we have fairly advanced training and research institutions, active energy, agriculture, transport and manufacturing sectors that should act as catalyst and drivers for a bio refinery industry in the country. Technically, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only Mumias

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

Currently the company produces milled sugar, power, and ethanol. But the company either singularly or in partnership with other players need to go a step further and produce high value low volume products such as bio plastics among other products for it to be a true bio-refinery. Western Kenya sugar belt, the highlands and the coastal region stands as the best locations for future bio refinery industry due to availability of biomass and existence of functional agri based processing plants. In Western Kenya, there is potential for creation of a region wide bio refinery industry incorporating sugar mills, the Pan African Paper Mills Ltd, Agrochemical and Food Company Ltd and the Kenya Chemical and Food Corporation. Nairobi County with its many chemical industries will also be an important player as research, production, and consumption location. Experience from countries with active bio refining activities has shown that multi-sectoral collaboration is the way to go. The import of this is that relevant government ministries and their agencies will have to partner with private sector players in food, energy, materials and chemical industries so as to come up with a viable bio refinery industry. But there are major technical and economic challenges to be surmounted. There is still a lot to be done to optimize biomass conversion processes and also increase biomass production. Commercially, since most of the products that are to be replaced with bio products are currently produced from petroleum, there will be need to make the bio products competitive enough for any significant integration into the existing value chains.

NEWS

nvestors in geothermal energy will be spared much of the upstream costs of production after the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) extended its role to drilling. GDC Managing Director Silas Simiyu said investors will henceforth only be required to raise capital for building power stations, in a change of tack aimed at reducing the cost of exploiting steam as a source of energy. GDC will henceforth carry out service exploration and exploitation of steam resource as well as drilling, leaving public sector power generator KenGen to compete with private investors for licences to build power stations. “GDC is taking up drilling and developing of the steam resource. Foreign developers will come in at a later stage to build the power plants,” Dr Simiyu said. The change follows failure by licensed companies to drill and prove availability of steam as per contractual terms.Dr Eric Aligula, head of infrastructure at Kippra, said the move by GDC was necessary to reduce upfront costs in exploitation. “GDC can build capacity since they have been growing expertise. It can play a key role as the go-between,” said Dr Aligula. GDC intends to reduce the overall cost of developing geothermal power by relying on credit from development finance institutions. The company has

already received Sh51 billion in loans and grants from the African Development Bank and the French Development Agency. The Suswa fields will be the first to be developed under the new model, with funding from the Germany Development Bank (KfW) and export import banks from India and the US. The loans, with a grace period of 10 years and a tenure of 40 years, will translate to the investment per unit being lower, affording industries and households cheaper power. “By doing so, GDC reduces the upfront costs for investors. This will eventually lead to cheaper electricity tariffs,” said Dr Aligula. Following the change, licences held by KenGen for wells with a potential of 280MW in Olkaria will run on a revenuesharing basis.

Last month, the government cancelled the licence for WalAm, which had been licensed in September 2007 and repossessed the fields over nonperformance. “There have been no tangible results. They also failed to undertake an EIA (environmental impact assessment) report as required by law,” Energy Permanent Secretary Patrick Nyoike said. In the contract, investors are supposed to start exploitation within two years of being awarded, drill three wells in three years and put up a power generating power plant within five years. They are also supposed to do preparatory work like environmental impact assessment, securing Nema licenses and carrying out feasibility studies.

“We have an agreement with KenGen that GDC will receive 3.5 US cents per kilowatt-hour or 29 per cent of the tariff of 12 US cents per unit,” said Dr Simiyu.

“Going forward, investors must have properly defined engagements and the tariffs will be based on the quality of the steam source,” Dr Simiyu said. He said investors would only build the power station at Menengai while GDC would pursue joint ventures in Bogoria and Silali.

GDC has so far drilled eight wells in Menengai, five of which are generating 40MW.

“Investors can buy rigs while we help them with licensing, land compensation issues,” Dr Simiyu said.

Africa Geothermal International Limited (AGIL), WalAm Geopower Inc and Marine Power Generation were licensed to exploit a combined 210 MW on confirmed Longonot, Suswa and Akiira Ranch sites but only AGIL is currently planning to drill.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

“Clean Development Mechanism” (CDM)

s part of the Government’s efforts to promote clean and renewable energy development in Kenya, the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) Ltd is seeking registration and development of its geothermal projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The ultimate objective of these projects is contribution towards national sustainable development and increased electricity generation towards attainment of Kenya’s vision 2030. Additionally, the geothermal projects will target the abatement of carbon dioxide (CO2) from generators on the Kenya interconnected electricity grid. This abatement will be achieved by reducing the need for new thermal power plants in Kenya as well as decreasing the dependence of Kenya on imports of crude petroleum (accounting for 20-25% of the national import bill). In particular diesel, a common fuel source of recent power plant developments in Kenya. Three projects are currently at the PDD stage for CDM registration by 2013 having received Letters of No Objection from the National Environment Management Authority (Designated National Authority): •

1200MWe Menengai geothermal power project The project is currently at the Exploration stage. The power plant covered under the CDM will be developed in three phases over thirty months with; 2x100MWe

installed mid-2017, an additional 2 x 100MWe by the end of 2017 and 4x200MWe plants by the end of 2019. It is anticipated that CERs/VERs will be generated and the crediting period will start from the first 200MWe installation mid-2017, with a seven-year crediting period that can be renewed two times for a total crediting period of twenty-one years. The project is expected to reduce an estimated 4,793,000 tCO2-eq per year upon implementation. •

800MWe Bogoria – Silali geothermal power projects The project is currently at the project preparation stage with an objective of developing the field to a capacity of 800MWe by 2022. Development of the field will be staged in 4 phases with annual 200MWe installations from the year 2019 to 2022 bringing the field capacity up to 800MWe. It is anticipated that CERs/VERs will be generated from the start of operation in 2019, with a seven-year crediting period that can be renewed two times for a total crediting period of twenty one years. An estimated 3,196,000 tCO2-eq per year will be displaced upon project implementation. •

50-100MWe Menengai Modular Power Plants The aim of this CDM project is to develop a capacity of 50-100MWe phased over a period of five years in 5-10MW units

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

between 2013 and 2017. The aggregate CDM project capacity of all the modular power plant units will be in the range 50-100MWe with a seven-year crediting period that can be renewed two times for a total crediting period of twenty-one years. It is expected that CERs/VERs will be generated from the start of operation in 2013. Emission reductions are estimated at 299,600 tCO2-eq per year.

NEWS

Africa’s largest solar power plant

hana is set to be home of what could be the largest solar power plant in Africa according to the British company behind the plan. The 155MW plant being developed by a British company is expected to increase electricity capacity and cut emissions.

Source of much of the world’s cocoa and an increasingly significant oil producer, Ghana’s new drive to exploit the sun’s energy is predicted to create hundreds of jobs and increase the country’s electricity capacity by 6%, as well as cutting emissions. Blue Energy, the renewable energy developer behind the $400m project,

which has built a solar farm 31 times smaller outside Swindon, said the 155MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant will be fully operational by October 2015. Construction on the Nzema project is due to begin near the village of Aiwiaso in western Ghana by the end of 2013, with the installation of some 630,000 PV modules. The power plant, which at the time of planning would be the fourth biggest of its kind in the world, will be the first major scheme to claim payments from Ghana’s feed-in tariff incentive scheme, created by the government in 2011. Ghana has a target of increasing renewable energy capacity from its current 1% of the country’s energy mix to 10% by 2020. Chris Dean, chief executive of Blue Energy, said: “Ghana’s forward-thinking strategy puts it in a strong position to lead the renewable energy revolution in subSaharan Africa. Nzema is a case study in how governments can unlock the huge potential for solar energy in Africa. We are delighted that it will make a strong contribution to the national economy,

provide much needed generating capacity and help develop the skills of the future.” Douglas Coleman, the project’s director at Blue Energy, told the Guardian that the company was using solar PV instead of the distinctive ‘troughs’ used in concentrated solar power technology seen in north Africa and the Middle East in part because PV only requires light, not direct sunlight. The choice of PV means the farm will still generate electricity during the more than 100 cloudy days Ghana experiences each year, he said. The company said it expects to create 200 permanent jobs and 500 during the construction phase, which already has the go-ahead from planning authorities. The plan for the Ghanian plant follows recent denials of a crisis at the separate Desertec initiative – which envisions solar plants in north Africa providing green energy for Europe – following the withdrawal of Siemens and Bosch from the initiative. Ghana recorded the fastest growth in SubSaharan Africa last year, with GDP growing at 14.3%, driven by oil production. In March, London-based Tullow Oil said an oil field it had found off the coast in 2011 was a major find. The average carbon footprint of a Ghanian is 0.4 tonnes of CO2, compared to 8.5 tonnes of CO2 per head in the UK.

~ World’s 4th Largest Solar Power Plant.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

frican economies, led by East Africa, are emerging as the world’s clean energy powerhouses partly as a safeguard against rising oil prices.

Solar Firm eyes East African Market

Already, foreign investors are making a beeline for Africa to tap into the region’s growing appetite for renewable energy. Israeli technology firms have primed their sights on the region, where it is estimated that up to 85 per cent of the landmass has no power.

East Africa’s economies are specifically becoming both a frontier market and strategic gateway for overseas manufacturers of solar panels. Leading the pack to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in Africa are Energiya Global and AORA Solar, an innovative concentrating solar power (CSP) grid solutions developer. With a 35-metre high sun-ray collection tower and about 50 mirrors positioned to direct the sun, AORA says it is now ready to wean Africa off fossil fuels. Energiya is developing the first utilityscale solar PV (photovoltaic) project in Rwanda. It has already secured a local partner in Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village for orphans of the Rwandan genocide. AORA, which has operations in Spain, is currently negotiating business partnership deal with several firms in South Africa. “With more countries discovering the advantages of solar energy, we expect AORA will soon be a part of many African countries’ landscapes,” said the President and Chief Executive, Mr Zev Rosenzweig on the sidelines of the 5th International

Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition in Eilat, Israel. He said in addition to Africa, a significant order of demo units of the system is headed to the US and plans are currently underway to set up sites in Latin America and Eastern Europe. Energiya Global Vice President – Regional Director, Africa, Chaim Motzen said while the continent’s move to build a renewable energy infrastructure is timely, African Governments need to support the initiative through initiatives. “We have already identified some locations including Kenya to commence our operations,” Motzen says. The challenge, however, has been finding the right ingredients in terms of regulatory environment to help with development at those sites.” Israel forays and interest in Africa’s energy sector comes at a time African governments including Kenya are increasingly turning to renewable energy. While there has been rapid growth rate in the sector in other parts of the world,

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

studies indicate that most of Africa’s substantial new and renewable energy resources remain largely under-exploited. A 2007 World Bank report said Kenya has annual solar energy resources equivalent to the discovery of roughly 70 million tonnes of oil. About 30,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are sold annually. The industry is thriving, making the country one of the best examples of where solar energy technology has taken off in subSaharan Africa. But further investment is required especially in manufacturing of PV panels. According to policy briefs from the Ministry of Energy, Kenya has accelerated the shift to renewable sources of energy to become a green economy powerhouse. Clean sources of energy including solar, wind and geothermal are critical to meeting both domestic and industrial demand for electricity. Kenya’s Vision 2030 blueprint pegs the country’s attainment of middle income status to expanding access to electricity from a national average of 30 per cent to 70 per cent.

NEWS

Firm to set up Wind Firm at the Coast

isted agricultural firm Rea Vipingo has announced plans to start producing wind power at the Coast to curb inconsistent supply of electricity and reduce its operating costs. The company intends to produce 48 megawatts of power from 24 turbines to be installed in Kilifi County. Rea Vipingo, which is involved in real estate projects at the Coast through its subsidiary, Vipingo Estates, is seeking regulatory approvals to undertake the project. “The proponent (EnBW Kraftwerke AG) of the proposed wind farm is proposing to install 24 turbines with a capacity of 2MW each and approximately 80 metres high,” said the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) in a statement. The company has previously cited inconsistent power supply as one of its major operational challenges. “Poor and inconsistent mains power supply necessitates the use of expensive stand-by generators at all locations on

a regular, almost daily basis,” said the company’s management in its annual report. Energy costs have been listed as one of the factors discouraging the setting up of production factories in Kenya with companies opting for Egypt and South Africa. The energy produced by Rea Vipingo at the Kilifi wind farm will be transmitted to the national grid. “The turbines will be connected via a medium voltage electrical transformers, which will be buried underground leading to an onsite substation. The substation will then be connected to the national grid,” reads the Nema statement. The wind farm could become the fourth major wind power generation project in addition to a 5.1 megawatt plant owned by the Kenya Electricity Generating (KenGen) Company, which is already operational, and the planned 100 megawatt plant by American company, GE Energy and a 50 megawatt wind farm to be located in Ngong Hills area associated to the Kenyatta family.

The 50 megawatt farm by GE Energy is to be set up by Prunus Energy Limited in which Ngengi Muigai is chairman at an estimated of cost Sh11 billion. Economic activities requiring energy input have grown at a faster rate than the investment in energy production, leaving a yawning gap between its supply and demand. Current generation mix stands at 719 megawatt hydro, 163 megawatt geothermal and 407 megawatt thermal power — including 120 megawatt capacity of emergency producers. The installed capacity is estimated at 1,400 megawatt against peak demand of 1,300 units, but frequent breakdown of machines or routine maintenance has seen the reserve margin dip to negative zone. Rea Vipingo joins other listed companies who have taken the problem of energy production into their own hands in order to manage costs and guarantee consistent supply.Mumias Sugar Company runs a 28 megawatt power project using fibrous waste from sugar cane, referred to as bagasse. In June, Sasini Limited announced a tender for the supply of hydro-electric power generation equipment to be set up at its Ruiru Mills Estate. The company had hired Devki Energy Consultants to help in procurement of equipment for the microhydro electric power generation project. The firm said that the high energy cost was making it difficult for its exports, especially coffee, to compete in the global markets. Athi River Mining is expected to spend about Sh8 billion in two years to install a 66 megawatt plant to supply power for its operations.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

Kenya - Ethiopia Power Import Deal

h e s t e p by Ke nya t o i m p o r t electricity from Ethiopia has entered a new phase, with a call for tenders to set up substations linking Kenya and Ethiopia. The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (Ketraco), a State corporation set up to develop electricity transmission infrastructure, advertised tenders for contractors to install substations in Suswa, Kenya, and Wolayita Sodo in Ethiopia from where power will be connected to the national grids of both countries. The next step will be to lay high voltage lines connecting the Kenya National Grid and that of Ethiopia. This will allow Kenya Power and Lighting Company to import electricity, cutting on the supply deficit that has been created by low local generation capacity against a growing demand for power. Ethiopia is currently constructing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, expected to generate 6,000 megawatts, partly for export to the region, and is scheduled to be completed in 2018. The project is funded by the International Development Association of the World

Bank Group and the African Development Bank. “The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Government of the Republic of Kenya intend to apply part of the proceeds of these credits to payments under the contract for design, supply, installation and commissioning of HDVC converter stations in Ethiopia and Kenya,” read the tender notice in part. Regional pool The Kenya-Ethiopia interconnector will have a capacity of 2,000 megawatts, although in a deal signed last year by Kenya’s Energy ministry and the Government of Ethiopia, the country intends to import an initial 400 megawatts of electricity. In September, the board of AfDB approved a $348 million loan to fund the project, adding to another $684 million loan what had been approved by the World Bank’s board of directors towards the same course. Of the World Bank funds, Kenya received $441 million and the rest was allocated to Ethiopia. The current installed capacity stands at slightly above 1,500 megawatts, with only less than 30 per cent of the

country’s population having access to electricity. The project, which is set for completion by the end of 2016, is one of many projects being undertaken by countries within East Africa to facilitate trade of power within the region. The pool consists of all the East Africa Community member states in addition to Ethiopia, Djibouti and Sudan. According to Ketraco, construction of a 1,000 megawatts interconnector that will link Kenya to Rwanda and Burundi through Uganda is set to begin, while tenders for the construction of a similar connection between Kenya and Tanzania are expected to be floated soon. “We already have a contractor on the ground to construct the Kenya-Uganda interconnector. Very soon, tenders will be called for the construction of the Kenya-Tanzania interconnector,” said a spokesperson from Ketraco. Electricity highway project set for commissioning in 2017 The Eastern Electricity Highway as commonly referred to is set to be commissioned in 2017. The project promotes the major East African Power Pool (EAPP) project.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

KENYA ENGINEER - JULY MARCH MAR // AUGUST APR / APRIL 20122012 2013

NEWS KenGen has also viciously fought claims that there was no competitive bidding in the procurement of the contract for the first wellhead generator. Investigations show that KenGen left the pilot project to the Norwegian firm, which missed several inspections of the project, partly causing the initial acceptance test that was unsuccessful.

Shs 8b KenGen Project

he troubled Sh8 billion wellhead project in Olkaria has been rescued after the pilot project finally turned around to deliver power, clearing the way for the construction of 14 other wells in Naivasha. The success of the portable wellhead generator now promises to give the management of the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) some relief after the pilot phase that was rocked by controversy over the tendering of the project flopped. But it is the Norwegian company awarded the contract, Green Energy Group (GEG) that will sleep easiest after doubts emerged over its ability to deliver the mega project, given that it had never been tried elsewhere in the world. It is understood that GEG was given a second chance to deliver a replacement unit after the first acceptance test was unsuccessful at its own cost, a unit that has now delivered the desired results for the test. KenGen had already paid 50 per cent, Sh371 million to GEG for the first acceptance test, and had come under pressure to explain why it went ahead to award the Norwegian firm a bigger tender to supply and install 14 additional wellheads despite the fact that the contractor delivered defective machines for the trials. This forced the power distributor to give the Norwegian company until mid this year to deliver the project or refund the money. “The contractor, who was making the turbines made some miscalculations in the workshop on the machining. We removed the faulty turbine and kept it aside and the contractor brought new turbines, which are now working,” said Mr Geoffrey Muchemi, the Geothermal Development Manager at the Olkaria geothermal project in Naivasha. The total cost of the trial was about Sh780 million. The contract to supply a wellhead for one of the geothermal wells in Olkaria, Nakuru County, was finalised in December 2009.

“At the time, we had thought the contractor was supervising the workshop and later on we found that there were some missed inspections. Under their cost, they accepted the loss. But on our part, we have since learnt our lesson and we are now doing very serious factory inspections at every stage,” Mr. Muchemi said. However, what remains unclear is the production potential of the plant. Though the Norwegian firm constructing the plant says on its website it is a 5 megawatt geothermal power plant, a notice at the plant in Naivasha contradicts this figure saying it has a 6MW plant. The pilot is currently generating 3.2MW of power only against the expected 6MW. The managers on the ground noted that though its capacity is 6MW, plants don’t always operate at their maximum potential due to various factors, including demand. The power generator has already started constructing the first of the 14 remaining plants in the main project after what it terms as satisfactory results of the pilot project. “We expect to complete the 14 other projects by the end of 2014. Should we have any slug, then it may spill into early 2015 but our target is to complete them next year,” Muchemi said. The firm said each of the wellheads would cost about $6.5 million to construct, less the drilling cost. It plans to construct two units in every two months. “The payback time of each of these wellheads is between four to seven years,” he said, adding that KenGen already had all the funding it needed for this project expected to cost $93 million. This translates to about Sh8.1 billion at the current foreign exchange rates. The money for this project came from the Sh15 billion public infrastructure bond it floated in 2009. “The advantage of the wellhead is because of the size, it makes geothermal development more flexible,” Mr Muchemi said. KenGen say it has a contract obligation with the supplier to be able to move the plants within one month, but this is yet to be tested because no plant has been moved yet.According to the plan, the new wellheads are supposed to be moved from one well to another, helping to inject new energy into the national grid immediately after it is drilled.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS The blueprint showed the road network would be serviced by an exclusive closed rapid bus system complete with special feeder services. The special bus routes would run alongside the normal highways except within the Central Business District (CBD) where it would be elevated. An estimated 378 buses would be required to operate this exclusive route service by 2015 with fares estimated at between Sh2 and Sh2.50 per passenger per kilometre. On the part of rail transport, the entire network is proposed to be on an elevated platform with a total of 76 stations and five maintenance depots to service passenger needs.

huru Highway in Nairobi is set for a major makeover even as the government continues to receive bids for the design and construction of the planned 53-kilometre Jomo Kenyatta International Airport -Rironi thoroughfare. A preliminary artistic impression captures the makeover expected to ease congestion in the city and its environs. The section between Nyayo National Stadium and the Museum Hill interchange would have an elevated road with two lanes on each side. The stretch would also have additional special lanes to accommodate a special bus rapid transport system (BRT) that will run from JKIA to Kikuyu on the outskirts of the city. The BRT route will be a single carriageway and will run in the middle section of the highway from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Kikuyu. The 18-kilometre section between Uthiru and Rironi is also to be rehabilitated while the Airport South Road will be turned into a dual carriageway with access roads to the Inland Container Depot at Embakasi, according to plans by the Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha), the project implementer. The actual design of the road project jointly funded by the government and the World Bank would be known when submission of bids closed on January 31.

Phase one of the MRTS project would cover the corridors along Thika Road I, Juja Road, Jogoo Road, Ngong Road 1, Limuru Road and Mombasa In the second phase, work would be carried out on Outer Ring Road, Thika II, Waiyaki Way, Ngong Road II, Thika Road III and Lang’ata Road. The consultants, Consult Engineering Services of India and its Kenyan partner APEC Limited, said the project may require some highways upgraded to between four and eight lane dual carriage with exclusive lanes for the rapid transport bus system. Statistics by the Transport ministry showed that major roads within Nairobi such as Thika Road, Outering Road, Uhuru Highway, Haile Selassie Road, Mbagathi Way, Lang’ata Road and Waiyaki Way are used on average by 80,000 vehicles every day— which is way beyond their design capacity. The Nairobi City commuter train currently carries about 19,000 passengers everyday which also way below the estimated demand of 90,000 passengers.

The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) invited views on the planned road project, saying the public have 30 days to make submissions. The JKIA-Rironi road is expected to supplement another planned project known as the Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) that will entail the construction of a 167-kilometre exclusive public road and rail transport grid that would link the city centre with key neighboring towns and municipalities such as Kikuyu, Thika, Ruiru, Athi River, Kitengela, Machakos, Limuru and Kajiado. According to proposals to the government, the project would be implemented along nine road corridors namely; Nairobi Railway Station (NRS)-RuiruThika, NRS-Juja Road-Kangundo, NRS-Jomo Kenyatta Airport-Athi River, NRS-Langata Road-Karen and NRS-Upper Hill-Ngong. Other corridors to be covered by the project will include NRS-KabeteKikuyu, NRS-Gigiri- Limuru and Outer Ring Roads in city’s Eastland’s area. The present Nairobi Railway Station area, including the yards, has been proposed for the construction of a 24-storey central hub terminal for the MRTS in that all lines would originate or terminate at this point or traverse through it.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

The governments of Kenya and South Sudan entered into a joint course where they would undertake the rehabilitation and upgrade project of the Eldoret-Juba road to international highway standards. The road, dubbed Kenya-Sudan Link Road runs from Kitale in Kenya to Juba in S.Sudan.It is one of the major corridors identified in the Northern Corridor Transport Improvement Project (NCTIP). The section of this road from Lokichar to Juba form part of the Lamu Port Southern Sudan Ethiopia Transport Corridor (Lapsset) which runs down to the port of Mombasa. It also forms part of Corridor

NEWS

Port of Mombasa: New Container Terminal ecember 5th marked the official ground breaking of the 2nd container terminal at the port of Mombasa. The Sh28 billion project which started in March this 2012 is the largest single project that the Kenya Ports of Authority has ever undertaken since 1980 when the current container terminal was built.

The container terminal is part of the ports’ expansion and modernization programme. It will be constructed in two phases with completion expected in 2020. The project involves dredging of the main channel, land reclamation of 100 acres, construction of three berths with a straight quay of 900 metres and creation of space for container stacking and supportive facilities. There has been growth in the cargo getting in and out of the country, exerting pressure on the ports capacity. A Port master plan was unveiled in 2005 outlining the development agenda for the port in the next twenty five years. First on the plan was the expansion of port capacity to cope with demand and eventually be ahead of demand.

a new access road and a railway line will be constructed to link the container terminal and the proposed Dongo-Kundu bypass and Mombasa Nairobi highway on the other end. Equally essential will be the procurement of container handling equipment. The container picking and moving process has been subjected to technological improvement. The design for the construction of the facility is ready. It will be financed through a bilateral soft loan from the Japanese Government to the tune of Sh1.6 billion. Japan Port Consultants Limited was awarded the six-year construction contract in 2011. They are to construct a quay and sea walls,utilities,buildings,access road and parking space. Other civil works will include the extension of the railway line and access roads from existing container terminal to the new terminal and installation of leading lights.

Upon completion, the facility will position the port as the regional hub for transit and transshipment traffic and gateway to East and Central Africa as envisioned in the To ease container off-take from the port, country’s vision 2030.With a capacity of 1.2 million Twenty foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) per year, the terminal will further enhance trade and economic development of the region and Africa as a whole. 3 of the East African Community Road Network from the Northern border of Tanzania at Isebania through Kisumu,Kitale,Lodwar and Lokichogio to Nadapal and finally in Juba. The road section between Lodwar-LikichogioNadapal has been identified as a top priority link and is to be rehabilitated and upgraded to trunk road standard. The lack of regular maintenance has been faulted as the main cause of accelerated deterioration of the road. The 960km road upgrade valued at $1 billion will be funded by the World Bank. The project is considered critical to the opening up of North Western region of Kenya as well as restoration and development of S.Sudan’s economy. It will also play a key role in enhancing regional economic integration.

Other than the 2nd container terminal, KPA also in the plans of developing a port at Dongo Kundu area besides its involvement in the establishment of the Lamu Port. The Dongo Kundu project will involve development of free port facilities on a 3,000 acres piece of land owned by KPA through a PPP arrangement. The contract for this project was awarded to Singapore Corporation Enterprises to undertake the master planning and development of the free port. The design of the Road Bypass to link Dongo Kundu area to Mombasa – Lunga Lunga road is ready and the ministry of Roads is sourcing for funds for its construction.

History of berths in Mombasa Berths 16 and 17 were completed in 1975 where they handled 1,385 TEUs.The two were later converted into container handling berths. In 1980,berth 18 was completed increasing the number of berths at the Mombasa Container terminal to three.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

FEATURE

NCA National Construction Authority

Set to improve stand ards he establishment of the National Construction Authority is set to improve standards and enforce ethics in the construction industry. This was revealed by the PS at the Ministry of Public Works Dr. Gideon Mulyungi at the AAK-Engineers Chapter Dinner held at the Serena hotel on the 29th of November.

Dr. Mulyungi had been invited to enlighten the engineers on the National construction Authority and Its objectives. The NCA was established through an act of parliament – NCA Act No.41 of 2011 after a process started over ten years ago by the Ministry of Public works in conjunction with the ministries of Roads, Water, Energy, Housing and Local government. The unregulated construction industry had been experiencing challenges some of which are listed below; 1.

termination by government and vice versa. 3. Rogue developers who want to save money at the expense of members o f t h e p u b l i c by n o t e n g a g i n g qualified professionals, contractors or construction workers. NCA was therefore formed to bring order and return sanity to the industry. Among the services to be offered by NCA are listed below: • Register and regulate contractors • Accredit and register construction workers • Provide continuous training programmes to contractors • Conduct research on emerging building technologies and disseminate the same to contractors and construction workers • Enforce appropriate standards and code of conduct in the industry.

Collapsing buildings; 15 years since sunbeam collapsed over 30 buildings have collapsed leading to loss of over 100 innocent lives and loss of over 10B in lost revenue to the economy. Migration of contractors from one institution to another; contractors The board will be funded through a 0.05% migrating from one institution after levy collected on all construction projects, termination and others migrating from subscription from contractors, Donation/ government to private sector after grants and central government exchequer.

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NCA will be managed by a 15 member board with representation from AAK, I Q S K , K F M B, L S K , I E K , K A B C E C , RACECA, Special Interest groups, PSMOPW, Treasury, Local Govt, Housing and SCAC. The Authority will also have an Executive Director and staff members spread all over the country. The board was put in place on 18th of may 2012 while the ED was appointed on the 19th of November 2012. Draft regulations for the board are ready and awaiting approval by parliament to start operation and collecting levy. NCA is expected to improve industry standards, enforce ethics and integrity of contractors/construction workers and give more commissions to the professionals. Engineers have been requested to help give public education about NCA and not to pre-qualify a constructor if he is not registered and cleared by NCA.

FEATURE he construction industry has been toping the headlines in the country this time in a bad lime light with the latest being the collapse of a building in Kisumu. Local constructors have complained of the government awarding tenders to foreign firms instead of local ones. Kenya is however to blame itself for the overtake of foreign firms in the construction industry in the country.

The country has in the past five years been under continuous infrastructure development.However, foregn firms are on top of the business while local contractors come in as secondary in the projects. Who is to blame for this? “The industry from independence has experienced substantial growth. For example in the period 1998 – 2008 whereas the GDP grew by 135.1% the construction output grew by 406.1%. Despite such growth, major construction works in Kenya have been undertaken by foreign firms due to lack of adequate local capacity in the industry”, says a statement on Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) website. L o c a l c o n t r a c t o r s h av e b e e n associated with shoddy works that has left many lives dead in the country and resources destroyed. The Government has also been trying to clear a mountain of pending

bills created by contractors who never finished projects for a variety of reasons, including shoddy workmanship. “Yet, despite all these scenarios, local contractors have been complaining of being denied construction bids. But to win big construction tenders contracts, one has got to prove his competency by completing the work in agreed time and should be of good quality”, says a statement on MoPW’s website. In a bid to cud this and bring sanity and discipline in the industry, the government has called upon all contractors to register afresh. A body has been established under the National Construction Authority (NCA) to coordinate and oversee the development of the construction industry. The body will vet and evaluate the capability of contractors before issuing them with new operation licences. Research shows that only about a quarter of Kenya’s 10,000 contractors may be genuine, which comes to 2,500 qualified engineers. The authority has organised countrywide training seminars compulsory for contractors where fresh registration will be done. The seminars are set to begin in 31st January and will be carried out in major towns. Unqualified contractors took advantage of the current fragmented registration process where each government agency keep their own register. This gave room for non-performing contractors and those barred in one ministry or institution to migrate and tender for projects on account of multiple registrations. This also allowed contractors with little or no capability to undertake construction works resulting to incomplete of shoddy work. “Unless the above challenges are mitigated the construction industry will be incapable of efficiently executing the large scale projects anticipated within the Vision 2030 and other projects within the region economic blocs”, says a statement on MoPW website.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

New Lamu port berths Three berths under the Lamu Port – South Sudan – Ethiopia Transport Corridor Project (Lapsset) are set to start construction before the end of this year’s first quarter. The president is expected to lay the foundation stone for the project to mark start of construction of three of the 32 berths under the Sh1.5 trillion project.

ELDORET

KeNHA who responded and agreed to undertake the project.

New ByPass

“ We u s e d t o u n d e r t a k e s u ch projects before the introduction of lans are under way to construct construction authorities. However, it a bypass in Eldoret town to is our responsibility to ensure that we decongest the busy Central Business spearhead the projects,” Kotut said. District. Kotut said the scheme is a great The bypass estimated to cost about investment opportunity to Uasin Sh1.5 billion will be built by the Gishu County terming it as a great E l d o r e t M u n i c i p a l C o u n c i l i n opening to investors from within the partnership with Kenya National country and other neighboring states.

Highways Authority (KeNHA).

He noted that farmers from the The council engineer, Lutta Jones region would benefit from it because Nduta, said the bypass would go it would aid in transportation of through Nairobi road in the town, produce to reach the market in time. Kisumu road, and finally connect to Leseru area where it joins Uganda The council engineer also confirmed that the bypass would be backed up road. by a minor one that will connect old Nduta said feasibility studies are Nairobi road to Malaba road. under way and the construction will He said all the plans are aimed at begin this year. opening up investment opportunities “The main bypass is one of the in the grain basket region apart from projects geared towards minimizing just easing congestion in the town. congestion in a town that is currently jammed by motor vehicles,” he said. “The completion of the bypass will be a The engineer explained that African major boost to the Development Bank (ADB) is funding region’s economy because it will attract the project. investors,” Nduta The council Public Relations Officer said. Johnston Kotut said they identified the corridor for the bypass earlier in the year 2012 after they realised that the CBD was facing major congestion. Kotut said they made proposals concerning the construction to

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

The Sh2 billion three berths will serve general cargo, bulk cargo and container cargo. The designs were completed last year and a Chinese firm is reported to have been awarded the tender. The Lapsset corridor will create the Great Equatorial Land Bridge, connecting East and West coast of Africa. It will also see to the development of Kenya’s 2nd Transport & Economic Corridor which will in turn reduce over-reliance on the only Corridor -Northern Corridor. The project components comprise:-Lamu Port at Manda Bay; • railway line from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to South Sudan, and Isiolo to Ethiopia; • airports at Isiolo, Lamu and Lake Turkana/ Lokichoggio; highway from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to South Sudan, and Isiolo to Ethiopia; resort Cities at Lamu, Isiolo and Lake Turkana; • oil Refinery at Lamu; and • oil Pipeline from Lamu to Isiol o, Isiolo to South Sudan, and Isiolo to Ethiopia. The high Capacity high speed standard gauge railway of total length 4,200 Kilometers will have a transit time of three days with a route capacity 20 Million TEUs Per Annum.The standard gauge railway line will run from Lamu to South Sudan, Ethiopia and onwards to Douala in Cameroon to form the Great Equatorial Land Bridge between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The pipeline totals up to 3,240km.

NEWS

R2000 Programme so as to improve their quality of life. The programme aims at providing employment-based social protection for rural and urban poor especially the youth. In 1997, the government launched its strategic plan for the roads sector. The plan spells out implementation strategies and work methods for road maintenance. The work methods for part of the institutional reforms of the Ministry of Roads and Public Works (MoRPW).

he ministry of roads launched the Roads 2000 Strategic Plan 2013-2017 on 13th of December last year at the KICC. The plan which runs from July 2013 to June 2018 will involve all road agencies.

In line with Vision 2030, Roads 2000 is one of the flagship programmes within the social pillar whose objective is to invest in the people of Kenya

“Through the R2000 programme, the country has been able to save foreign exchange that would have been used to import equipment, fuel, lubricants and spare parts”, said the minister for roads, Franklin Bett in a statement. The main outputs expected at the end of the plan period include routine maintenance (34,000km), periodic maintenance (12,200km), rehabilitation (1,360km), upgrading (609km), new construction (700km) as well as create about 23 million person-days employment.

Mombasa Port: New Shs 1.7b Security System ombasa, East and Central Africa’s gateway port is building a Sh1.7 billion security system that is to be in operation by end of first quarter of the year. The state-of-the-art security system was being implemented by M/s Magal Security Systems of Israel.

The project was initiated two years ago as part of the port Mombasa long term conformity with the international Marine time Organization (IMO) standards and in compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

plus other security elements.

The hi-tech security systems aim at safeguarding the port from emerging threats of terrorism and pirates. This comes in the wake of importers especially from neighboring countries threatening to withdraw due to rising insecurity.

An access control system, which is a biometric reader, will be installed at the gates with the gate equipment-ray and metal detector equipment will also be fitted at the entrances, perimeter intrusion detection system (PIDS) with 10km smart fence with a locating sensor.

By beefing up security, Kenya Ports Authority aims at securing trade and growth of Kenya’s economy. The port is to be fitted with a closed circuit television (CCTV) with long range day and night surveillance cameras, static pan tilt zoom (PTZ) cameras

The project was being funded jointly by the government of Kenya and the World Bank. It will also enhance sea surveillance as well as improve screening of containers to check against counterfeit goods, drugs and other illicit cargo.

The hi-tech security systems aim at safeguarding the port from emerging threats of terrorism and pirates.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

City Railway System

lans are underway for the expansion of the Nairobi city rail system with the latest step being the opening of the Syokimau railway station. Kenya Railway Corporation, the government body in charge of the railway transport system in Kenya is to construct

Isiolo Airport; Expansion Begins

a high capacity Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) network in Kenya with connections to the East Africa region in conjunction with Rift Valley Railways. This 431 billion Kenyan Shilling project is due for completion by year 2017.The project will supplement Kenya’s northern rail corridor with 120 kilometer per hour freight trains and 180 kilometer per hour passenger fleets. It aims to transfer freight and passengers from roads to rail, reducing road damage and providing safe and rapid intercity transportation. The Syokimau development is expected to offload passenger traffic from, Mombasa Road that will decongest Uhuru Highway, provide alternative access to JKIA through a 5 minutes shuttle service. Other than the Nairobi railway system, the country is also seeks to work on the Mombasa railway city development project. The

The president presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of the Isiolo airport on 8th February 2013 which is due to achieve new status. At a cost of 900 million, the airport is to be upgraded to international standards. The upgrade followed completion of construction work at the airstrip, which included construction of a 1.4km runway, two taxiways, patrol road and runway safety works in July last year at a cost of Sh700 million. The airport is part of the mega infrastructure project, Lamu Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) which is a key highlight in the country’s Vision 2030. The upgrade will involve expansion of the runway to 2.5km, building of a passenger terminal with an area of 4,500 square meters and a capacity to handle 125,000 passengers annually, construction of a parking area, fire station, control tower and hanger, among others. The authority said that the runway could be extended to 4km in future moving the facility to the league of Moi International Airport in Mombasa and Eldoret Airport, whose runways measure 3.5km each, and above Kisumu at 2.1km. The country’s largest airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has the longest runway at 4.1km. Isiolo will also host one of the five resort cities outlined in the Lapsset project thus opening up the Northern part of the country which has great tourism potential. On completion, Isiolo airport will handle heavy commercial aircraft and maximum takeoff weight.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

railway line will link Kenya to Uganda through Nairobi, Malaba and Kisumu. Kenya Railways has 100 acres of prime land within the Island, ready for development. The Project will entail development of 100 acres in central Mombasa to provide facilities a business park for light manufacturing/assembly, 3 hotels with conference facilities to accommodate 3,000 people, shopping arcades, malls and restaurants, entertainment park and parking silos and an international trade centre. There is huge untapped demand for a development that integrates transport, hotels, leisure, conference, exhibition and commercial facilities in the country. Upon improvement of the transport sector, economic activity in the country is set to increase and improve drastically and also to the other regions

NEWS

he president on 23rd January presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first technology city, Konza City. The city located 60km from the capital Nairobi lies on a 2,000 hectare piece of land. The sh850 billion project established under a public-private partnership (PPP) financing mode will be carried out in four phases of five years each. Information minister Samuel Poghisio appointed board members to manage the Konza Technopolis Development Authority ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony. The board comprising of Haron Nyakundi (building economist), Reuben Mutiso (architect), Emma Miloyo (architect) and Rosemary Maundu will be chaired by investment banker John Ngumi who was appointed by the president in December last year. After the groundbreaking ceremony, foreign firms and locals who have shown interest in the project will now commence their activities at the site. The government will provide basic infrastructure like roads and electricity while the master developer will

build and sell the premises to investors. Kenya Railways has plans to connect the city with the high speed rail that will run from Mombasa to Malaba via Kisumu. The network is expected to be complete in 2017.According to the Ministry of Water, the Thwake Water and Sanitation Project, a Kenya Vision 2030 initiative, has been redesigned to include water supply to Konza City. The ministry also proposes 10 boreholes to be drilled within the proximity of the city. The ground breaking had been scheduled for April last year but was postponed due to the need to re-plan the areas where the park is sitting. A legal notice creating the Konza Authority also took longer than necessary. Other cities in development process in the country are Tatu and Suraya all located not far from the capital Nairobi. The investments have attracted investors locally and from abroad due to the rosy future of the industry.

KONZA CITY KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS minerals exploration business.

Kenya to auction 5 oil, gas blocks.

his year starts off with good news for oil explorers: Kenya has gazetted five new crude oil and gas exploration areas to be offered to prospecting firms through competitive bidding. The blocks fell vacant following the announcement late last year of new rules requiring exploration firms to cede 25 per cent of their licensed acreage if they failed to work on the sites in the stipulated time. Energy Permanent Secretary Patrick Nyoike said the Ministry of Energy would also publish the new three offshore and two onshore acreages in the Kenya Gazette upon completion of the demarcation of exploration areas surrendered by two licensed companies — Anadarko and Tullow. Anadarko Petroleum Corporation gave up offshore areas L5 and L7 in Lamu basin while Tullow Oil Plc surrendered area 10BB and 13T in northwestern Kenya. The demarcation is being undertaken by the Survey Department.

Services, the amount would be “in addition to other charges. But in open bidding the amount could be less or more.” It will be the first time Kenya will be allocating oil and gas blocks through an auction, one of the changes introduced in the new rules requiring that acreage is awarded to the highest bidder who offers the best terms to the government and agrees to pay requisite fees. The auction will be publicly done, replacing the current system where exploration rights are issued on first come first serve basis. The regulations, being rolled out this year, sharply increase licensing fees and introduce tough penalties on exploration schedules. Other changes include more royalties, increased taxes and revoking of mining and exploration licences of companies that do not keep to their exploration schedule, as the country sought a bigger slice of the profits from a boom in the oil, gas and

The five new blocks will increase Kenya’s exploration areas to 51 from the current 46 and the auction is expected to trigger a fresh jostle among oil exploration majors keen to tap into Kenya’s oil and gas business, which has in the past year attracted huge interest among explorers following two finds. Of the 46, only one is yet to be leased out after negotiations for a production sharing contract between Kenya and Statoil of Norway failed in December. With the Ministry of Energy’s one-off fee of $1 million per exploration area, Kenya will pocket at least Ksh425 million from the sale of the five blocks. According to Mwendia Nyaga, the lead consultant of Oil & Energy

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

According to Nyoike, “Firms are expected to retain portions of acreage deemed most valuable to them and surrender 25 per cent of original contract area at or before end of the initial exploration period of three years.” Licensed firms must also surrender obligations of 25 per cent of remaining contract area at or before the end of first additional exploration period of two years under PSCs signed with the Kenyan government. Mr Nyoike said the five new areas would be offered to prospecting firms in first half of 2013 through competitive licensing bid round for acreage to be awarded to highest bidder who offers the best terms to the government. Blocks mapped out The newly mapped blocks have a minimum proposed production sharing contract (PSC) terms for new exploration blocks. Under the PSC’s,the exploration company must cede 25 per cent of their licensed acreage should they fail to do work on blocks after two years-for onshore block-and three years for offshore ones. The exploration exercise has attracted more than 24 foreign players most of whom have begun work on their respective sites.

NEWS

Oil transit pact - S. Sudan & Khartoum

rade between Kenya and South Sudan could improve after Juba officials said oil exports will resume before year end, ending a biting dollar shortage. South Sudan’s chief negotiator Pagan Amum said exports could begin in two or three weeks after he met Sudan’s defence minister Abdel Raheem Mohammed Hussein and other senior officials in Khartoum. “By the end of this year it is possible to load the first ship of oil, especially after the agreement... We have been able to overcome all obstacles, more so than I was expecting personally,” Mr. Amum told Reuters. The two countries had agreed to end the stalemate on November 15 after reaching an agreement over fees payable for the use of the pipeline that transports the oil to Port Sudan for export. But the agreement collapsed after Sudan raised a new condition, demanding that the South stops supporting Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) rebels in

Abyei. The Kenyan ambassador in Juba, Cleveland Leshore, said resumption of oil exports would offer a welcome relief for Kenyan firms in South Sudan, but added that it may take longer to repair some of the wells that were damaged. Mr. Leshore said that the Central Bank of South Sudan was negotiating with the Central Bank of Kenya for the setting up of an exchange rate between the two countries to facilitate trade. Some Kenyan companies that have been hit hard by the currency crisis include Devki Steel Mills, East African Breweries, Hass Petroleum, Crown Paints, and Mabati Rolling Mills. “This will be good news because it will make people in Southern Sudan to regularize their orders, at the moment we only sell to them on condition they pay in advance,” said Mr Raval Narendra, the managing director of Devki Group of Companies which exports roofing materials and cement to South Sudan. Kenya exports a wide range of goods to

the country, including cement, roofing materials, food, petroleum products and electricity cables, making it one of Juba’s key trading partners. “They get many of their products from Kenya, so it will be a good development for Kenyan companies,” said Mr Raval. Kenya’s exports to both Sudan and South Sudan increased by 86 per cent to Sh18.8 billion between 2006 and 2010, while imports almost doubled from Sh86 million to Sh167 million, according to the Economic Survey 2012. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics is yet to separate data for the two countries after the South seceded from the North. Mr. Gideon Mungai, the chairman of the Association of Kenyans in the Diaspora of Southern Sudan, said that several businesses had stopped operations and were waiting to see action taken by the government of South Sudan to solve the problem. Mr. Amum said that both sides had agreed not to support armed rebel groups on either side of the border, one of the biggest points of contention. Kenyan businesses with operations in South Sudan say their money is stuck there as they cannot convert it from Sudanese pounds to US dollars to replenish their stocks. The world’s newest country inherited three-quarters of oil production when it broke away, but it shut down its output of 350,000 barrels a day in January after tension with the north over pipeline fees escalated. Khartoum has repeatedly accused South Sudan of supporting rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) who operate in two states on the border with South Sudan. Juba however denied the charge. The SPLM-N rebels were part of the southern rebel army during the civil war but were left in Sudanese territory at partition. “Stability in Sudan is in our interest, and the presence of armed groups on the border is not in South Sudan’s interest,” said Mr. Amum.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

n what is expected to diminish the influence of foreign energy companies on oil price fixing in Kenya, Engen -an African petroleum group with operations in 19 countriessigned a strategic partnership with the Kenya Independent Petroleum Dealers Association (KIPEDA). Under the deal, Engen is expected to supply (as the sole supplier of the group) adequate fuel and lubricants at fair prices and technical support on Petrol Service Stations operations, to independent dealers that have no links to multinational oil majors.

According to Engineer Kariuki, the Chairman of KIPEDA, unregulated wholesale petroleum prices in Kenya made it possible for oil majors to arbitrarily fix out-of-depot prices to dealers; a scourge that began around 2008. Dealers also reported unfair and discriminatory trade practices at depots, as well as erratic supply.

Engen - KIPEDA New deal inject new life into the Kenyan retail fuel industry which hitherto, had been dominated by foreign operators.

The conclusion of the agreement makes Engen the largest oil retailer in East Africa’s biggest economy, “But by 2008 tremendous challenges with the addition of its new exclusive arose, threatening the very existence supply access to more than 200 of indigenous Kenyan petroleum service stations. enterprises, Kariuki said at the “It is a win-win for all concerned,” signing.” Maimba said. Solution K I P E DA w e n t i n t o s t r a t e g i c KIPEDA was formed in the early partnership with Engen, which the 1990s as a platform for indigenous group felt could help it leverage p e t r o l e u m d e a l e r s , a f t e r t h e the strength of its members to their deregulation of Kenya’s petroleum collective benefit. Independent industry. indigenous Kenyan dealers currently During the first decade KIPEDA number more than 500 sites currently members went from strength to – making up half of the Kenyan retail strength without much involvement petroleum sector. from the association, until the At the agreement signing ceremony crushing competition from foreign attended by the Kenyan Ministries operators. of Cooperatives and Energy, Powell Maimba, Engen Kenya MD said the deal “assures Kenyan independents and indigenous businesses of efficient and easy access to quality petroleum products, at a fair and competitive price.”

Kenya - Uganda Pipeline

“The deal with Engen will help us overcome erratic fuel and lubricants supply, uneconomic price margins, lack of access to quality products and other constraints,” Kariuki said. The development is expected to

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

ompetition for market share in the oil industry is expected to increase after a foreign investor commissioned a Sh5 billion oil terminal it recently acquired near Mombasa. VTTI, the international bulk storage logistics firm that bought out the incomplete asset from troubled Triton Limited, said the facility with a capacity of 111,000 cubic meters (111 million litres) was now operational. Merlin Figueira, the general manager of VTTI Kenya, said the facility had-in the first weekend after begin of operationdischarged its first consignment of 9,600 cubic meters of petroleum products belonging to Vivo Energy Kenya Limited. “The receipt of the first product from MV

Firm revives oil storage facility

on Nairobi to Western Kenya pipeline. “Frequent rehabilitation of aged tanks results to storage constraints and lack of operational flexibility,” the Energy The new facility is expected to provide an ministry said in a review. The VTTI alternative to the strained national storage facility is expected to smoothen these tanks at the Kipevu Oil Storage Facility bottlenecks. Mr Figueira said the newly commissioned (Kosf). facility is connected by pipeline to the Investors are currently deprived of Kenya Pipeline Company’s (KPC) main independent storage to suit their demand line from Mombasa to Nairobi. to service East Africa and its hinterland. “This allows the product to be pumped Extra storage is critical to oil marketers from Mombasa to several KPC locations in the region because of the thin margins in Nairobi, Eldoret and Kisumu”, he from sales. In fragmented markets such as said adding “The added capacity now east Africa’s where margins are small, bulk available in Mombasa will help to serve supplies hold the key to profitability. the increased demands in Kenya and that Kosf receives imported refined products, of Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and both distillates and spirits, and has a storage the Democratic Republic of Congo.” capacity of 326 million litres while its The new storage terminal at Kipevu would operational capacity is 269 million litres. be used by marketers on lease terms. This comprises 58 million, 108 million and VTTI in 2009 acquired the incomplete 103 million litres of petrol, diesel and dualfacility when it won a tender floated by purpose kerosene, in that order. the major creditors of the troubled Triton. Kosf is constrained to meet regional It beat National Oil Corporation of Kenya demand estimated at 450 million litres to the deal by tendering for the facility at per month because of slow product $9.3 million. evacuations at Nairobi and low flow rate

Uzava represents a significant milestone for our VTTI Kenya terminal, a major new landmark on the energy landscape of Kenya,” he said.

The project began in 1995 when a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed and a Joint Coordination Commission (JCC) established. The project was from the start agreed to be promoted and developed as a regional project in the spirit of East African Community (EAC).

ollowing the cancelation of the tender awarded to a Libyan firm to construct the Kenya-Uganda oil pipeline, the two governments now embark on fresh tendering process. The tender awarded to Tamoil East Africa Ltd (TEAL) was terminated late last year following the firm’s failure to implement the project. TEAL won the tender in 2006 after competitive bidding that attracted the likes of China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Corporation, Zakhem Construction Limited among others.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) financed the first feasibility study. A second feasibility study was conducted by an international firm from 1998-1999 concluding that the project was viable. The pipeline is to be extended from Eldoret in Kenya, through Malaba on the border (110 km), through Jinja (130 km from Malaba) then to Kampala (80 km) totaling to 320KM.An 8 inch diameter pipeline was recommended. The pipeline will have a pumping flow rate of 168 m3 per hour and annual capacity of 1,200,000 m3.

The initial cost of the project had been estimated to be $96.9million.The extension is to be independent of the existing Mombasa-Eldoret pipeline. The ownership is to be both public and private partnership where the private investors will own 51% and the two governments’ 49%.The private sector will then manage and operate the pipeline. Governments’ shares are however to be offloaded to private investors in future while the two pipelines could be unified in future and operated as a single entity; Mombasa – Kampala.

The construction of the pipeline comes at a time when both Uganda and Kenya have made oil discoveries with Uganda, which has discovered oil reserves in the excess of 3.5 billion barrels, already in the process of building a refinery. Uganda intends to invest in a refinery with a A common user terminal is to be located capacity to process 180,000 barrels per at Kampala. The terminal capacity is to be day in efforts to secure reliable supplies 72,000 m3 comprising of 7 products and of petroleum. 4 interface tanks.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

Mombasa - Nairobi Pipeline replacement enya Pipeline Company will be replacing the old MombasaNairobi pipeline at a cost of $300 million. The company is now calling for proposals for the design of the 450-km pipeline from east Africa’s trade gateway, Mombasa.

The existing pipeline has been in operation for the last 35 years and thus it’s weakening its condition. In 2011, the pipeline caused deaths of over 100 people following the Sinai fire disaster linked to the pipeline. In 2008, the government invested Sh7.8 billion to increase the flow rate of the pipeline from 440,000 litres per hour to 880,000 litres per hour. The 14-inch diameter pipeline is unable to meet the rising demand of oil products in the region and even in the landlocked neighboring countries who also depend on the pipeline.

“The new pipeline is designed to meet petroleum products demand for the eastern Africa region up to the year 2044,” the company said in a statement. The new pipeline will at first complement the old one which runs from Mombasa to Nairobi, and onwards to the town of Nakuru in the west, and then forks to two other towns in the region Eldoret and Kisumu and eventually replace it. Many of the products from Kenya’s only refinery in Mombasa have to be trucked to other countries which is slow and unreliable owing to breakdown of trucks and damaged roads. The new pipeline is expected to relieve the country and its neighbors of this burden.

Tullow Oil strikes Natural Gas

ullow Oil discovered deposits of natural gas in February at a well in northern Kenya, whose drilling is set to be completed by end of first quarter on this year. The deposits were struck at 4,100 metres, less than a kilometre to the target depth of 4,900 metres at the Pai Pai 1 well in Block 10 A. The block is half owned by Tullow, 30 per cent by Africa Oil and the rest by Afren Plc. “They are now testing to see output at that high pressure,” said an official conversant with the progress. Tullow declined to comment on the status of its operations in Kenya.

“It’s still status quo, nothing has changed since the last update given. The well is still drilling,” said Evelyne Serro, Tullow’s communications officer for Kenya. “You will receive an update as soon as this is concluded at total depth”. Industry analyst George Wachira said commercial natural gas deposits interrupt the momentum in the continued search and testing at the Twiga 1, Ngamia 1 well and also the Mbawa natural gas prospect off the coast of Lamu. “ Fi n d i n g o f g a s a l s o d e l ay s c o m m e rc i a l confirmation of already discovered oil which, hopefully, the drilling of “Sabisa-1” in Ethiopia will help to confirm,” he added. Kenya is working on laws for exploration, production, logistics and monetization of natural gas.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

EALA Report boost transparency and to integrate mining into development policies to fight poverty at community, national and regional levels. Kenya is already under pressure from industry players to upgrade its mining laws but a new Mining Bill is yet to be approved by the cabinet. The Bill seeks to force multinationals to inject 25 per cent of the mining revenues to county governments (20 per cent) and community projects (five per cent).

enya is coming under increasing pressure to review it s mining laws after the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) adopted a report that calls for the code to be aligned to a continent-wide initiative.

The Report on Governance of Natural Resources, drafted in Nairobi early this year by the EALA Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources, said weak and parallel legislation were undermining transparent exploitation of resources. Th e a s s e m b l y c a l l s f o r t h e establishment of an institutional mechanism by the EAC Secretariat to tighten mining regimes. The parliament wants member states to develop human resource capacity f o r c o n t ra c t n e g o t i a t i o n s w i t h multinationals, revenue collection and to enhance skill transfer in the extractive sector. The five EAC countries — Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi should also align their mining policies to the Africa Mining Vision 2050 (AMV) adopted by African Union heads of State summit three years ago.

“In the absence of a clear legal framework that defines how revenues should be shared, activists have had free hand setting up communities against

Tech World

mining firms,” said Kenya Chamber of Mines chief executive officer Monica Gichuhi. Minerals like soda ash, fluorspar, salt, diatomite, gold and gemstones fetched Kenya Sh18.3 billion in 2011. At its full council meeting held late last year, the National Economic and Social Council called for training of communities on mining in order to improve their benefits that accrue to them from the sector. Just like the AMV, the council sees an enlightened citizenry as one step towards communities bargaining for a large share of proceeds from mining as well as forging harmonious relations with the multinational companies.

New Samsung Galaxy Camera

amsung Electronics East Africa launched another one of their camera models in February which they say is the world’s first truly connected camera, Galaxy Camera in the East Africa region. The camera which comes with two years warranty combines high performance photography with the Android 4.1 Operating System (Jelly Bean) and wireless network connectivity. According to the SEEA business leader, Robert Ngeru, the new camera allows one to shoot, edit and share high quality photographs and video easily and spontaneously from anywhere. The camera will be available in a choice of 3G and Wi-Fi version. It boasts a 21x zoom lens, 16M BSI CMOS sensor and features ‘Smart Pro ‘technology. It also features a HD LCD screen and up to 50GB of free cloud storage space.

“EALA urges partner States to invest more revenues accrued from natural resources in social infrastructures and other strategic investments that will promote economic growth and sustainable development for the region,” the report says. Under the Mining Vision, the continent seeks to reap maximum tax revenues,

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

TECHNOLOGY

YouTube threatens TV Cutting the TV cord Thirteen per cent of current pay TV subscribers in the US say they are “somewhat” or “very” likely to cancel their current subscription in the next 12 months — and not sign up with another provider — according to a survey of 2,000 The Google subsidiary is testing the new US households recently conducted by service with a view to enabling third Strategy Analytics. parties to broadcast live programming. The firm says that “cord cutting”, the The company has begun a limited trial of a practice of dropping traditional paid new live streaming platform in conjunction television service in favour of free with four content partners: Howcast, Next broadcast or internet-delivered ‘’Over the New Networks, Rocketboom and Young Top’’ (OTT) content is a growing trend. Hollywood. “While it may represent only a relatively “This new platform integrates live small percentage today, we anticipate streaming directly into YouTube channels; the number of cord cutters to increase all broadcasters need is a webcam or going forward,” said Ben Piper, director external USB/FireWire camera. in the Strategy Analytics Digital “Included in the test is a ‘Live Comments’ Consumer Practice. “Service providers module which lets you engage with the mustn’t overlook the next generation of broadcaster and the broader YouTube TV subscribers; today’s teenagers are community,” the company said. tomorrow’s customers.” ouTube has taken another important step in competing against TV with the launch of a new live streaming service that enables live broadcasts. Some 13pc of US TV subscribers are prepared to drop TV altogether.

For the purpose of the trial, the offering will only be available today and tomorrow. Based on the results of this initial test, YouTube will evaluate rolling out the platform more broadly to our partners worldwide.

Younger Americans consume and value content in a way far different from their parents’ generation, and have little regard for how content is delivered, according to the report.

Almost 10pc of consumers’ time online is now spent on Facebook, overtaking search giant Google which now accounts for 9.6pc of consumers’ time online, according to new research from comScore.

Jia Wu, analyst in the Strategy Analytics Digital Consumer Practice, says that Apple TV hopes to capitalise on its loyal and enthusiastic customer base to fill a void that currently exists in the market.

Earlier in February, Apple re-launched its The move can be seen as an attempt by AppleTV product, hoping to revitalise the Google and YouTube to fight back against product and make it a real contender in the rising tide that is Facebook. an increasingly crowded OTT television market. Social glue

The social glue that involves seeing what “Like the music industry prior to iTunes others are doing and saying as well as and the iPod, the online premium video sharing your life in the form of status updates, pictures, videos and playing games now mean that people are spending 9.9pc of their time on Facebook, on average 41.1 million minutes in August. This means users are spending more time with social media than search. Google accounted for 9.6pc of users’ time or 39.8 million minutes.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

market still lacks a perfect provider that can connect a service with a device to create a great user experience,” said Wu. “With its new and improved TV product, Apple is now preparing itself to repeat the success it has had in the music business in the rapidly growing online premium video market.”

TECHNOLOGY

Digital TV Switch deadline he Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) will not switch off analogue broadcasting signals until September 15.This means households will continue receiving TV signals without decoders or set top boxes. CCK pushed forward the date for the migration after a meeting between the telecommunications industry regulator and the Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek).

explored further in order to bring the price down significantly. The number of licensed vendors of the STB’s should also be increased from the current 22 to highest possible. The two parties agreed that the analogue Import and VAT waivers as well as platform used by local TV stations will be subsidies should also be worked out to the extent possible. The pricing available until September 15. be left to market forces of supply Th e d i g i t a l m i g r a t i o n w o u l d b e and demand,” said Mutoro. implemented in phases. Nairobi is slated as among the regions where the analogue “ C C K w i l l c o m e u p w i t h a signal will be switched off first. The move strategy to ensure a cost-effective is expected to give households time to consumer information, education acquire gadgets that can receive digital and communication on all matters signals and decode them into analogue related to digital migration. CCK signals for viewing on conventional TV will also draw lessons from the Tanzania experience.”,he added. sets. The digital migration deadline Most of the TV sets in Kenya are analogue is in line with an International with few of them receiving digital signals. Telecommunications Union — a CCK had initially set a July 2012 date for UN body’s global deadline of 2015. commencement of the digital migration process but this was postponed to September, then to December 31. “The compromise was reached for analogue signal switch-off on or after September 15,” said Stephen Mutoro, Cofek secretary-general.

Cofek however moved to court to stop the process arguing consumers were n o t r e a d y. T h e c o u r t ordered CCK and Cofek to get an amicable formula to the switch off deadline. Among the issues raised by Cofek include the cost of set top boxes – the gadget that one needs to decode digital signals to analogue. Currently, the available decoders cost above Sh5,000 which is out of reach for many consumers. Cheaper decoders are available but are tied to pay TV firms and one has to pay a monthly fee to view the TV channels. The meeting agreed that CCK, Cofek and other stakeholders would explore modalities to lower costs of decoders. They also agreed that the final retail prices would be left to market forces as opposed to regulated prices.

CCK, lobby agree on Digital TV Switch deadline

“The compromise was reached for analogue signal switch-off on or after September 15,” Stephen Mutoro Cofek secretary-general

“We agreed that mechanisms to lower the cost of Set Top Boxes (STB’s) will be

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

TECHNOLOGY

Ipad 4 unveiled 128GB PS is what most people in these times of technology use for tracking their way through the city or anywhere not so familiar with them.GPS has however found a challenger who seems to offer what GPS is unable to offer, Locata.

While GPS uses satellite signals to locate, the new positioning technology by Locata uses ground-based radio transmitters to send radio signals over a certain area. This signal is reportedly a million times stronger than a GPS signal.

The new iPad 4 with 128GB offers twice the storage capacity of the previous iPads, with 64GB of storage, allowing the user to create and enjoy even more incredible content, such as photos, documents, projects, presentations, books, movies, TV shows, music and apps.

While GPS mainly gives outdoor locations, Locata’s ground tech is tackling indoor locations,locata’s receivers can be small enough to fit inside a cell phone, so if for example shoppers are lost in a large mall, they can use Locata on their smartphone to find a certain area.

a r l i e r i n Fe b r u a r y, A p p l e unveiled their fourth-generation iPad with Retina display and a storage capacity of 128GB.

The fourth-generation iPad features a 9.7-inch Retina display, Appledesigned A6X chip, FaceTime HD camera, iOS 6.1 and ultra-fast wireless performance. It’s available in black or white color options. The iPad 4 with 128GB, comes in

Locata’s technology could bring the resolution as far down as 5 centimeters in the future, making location pinpoints even more precise. Its signal is much stronger because solid objects like GPS signals don’t block it as easily. However, Locata could still use some help in urban settings with many buildings packed so closely together.

two versions: Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + Cellular models. The iOS 6.1 on the fourth-generation iPad includes support for additional Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks around the world, and iTunes Match subscribers will be able to download individual songs to their iOS devices from iCloud. In addition, the latest iPad runs over 800,000 apps, including more than 300,000 designed specifically for iPad. These range from various categories including books, games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The iPad fourth-generation with 128GB will be available starting February 5, for a suggested retail price of US $799 for the Wi-Fi only model and US $929 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

Locata’s transmitters broadcast signals over the 2.4GHz radio channel, an openly available frequency used by Wi-Fi, baby monitors, and other technology. A surveyor must precisely locate each transmitter, but once that’s done, the transmitter broadcasts its location information so a device can use it for locating itself. However,Locata’s technology is designed to supplement GPS, not replace it. If a device already knows its location but GPS stops working, Locata can take over in an instant.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

TECHNOLOGY

As Kenya continues with its plans to digitalize TV signals, some Kenyan’s are not aware of what ‘box’ to get. According to Communications Commission of Kenya, there are two types of boxes that allow users to receive digital signals; Pay TV set top boxes and Free to Air (FTA) set top boxes. Pay TV set top boxes operates based on payment of monthly subscriptions where you enjoy programming only upon subscription. FTA set top boxes on the other hand receive free channels and no monthly subscriptions are required once the set top box has been purchased and installed. FTA boxes however vary in cost based on origin and functionalities.

Pay TV or Free to air?

As few have little knowledge on this, PayTV service providers are at the top of their game as they seek to sell their products to Kenyan’s in the digital-migration move. Kenyans are thus advised to note the difference as they go to purchase the product. For now, Pay TV clients who default on monthly payments can switch back on to local FTA channels that are still available on the analogue platform. But this is due to end upon full adoption of digital signals in the country.

|||| The New BlackBerry - 10 ||

n a hit back process in the market that has now been dominated by Samsung and iPhone, BlackBerry launched its latest and what it terms as its best phone product, the touch screen BB10 smartphone. Analysts expect the phone-maker, which has consistently lost market share to leaders Samsung and Apple over the past few years, to hit the road to recovery with this device. The device launched on January 30, 2013 is reportedly reinventing itself to cater to the needs of a wider customer base. RIM,the Ontariobased firm who launched the phone are hoping to catch the attention of gamers with the new BB10 software platform.

The company has reportedly procured the services of about 28,000 developers to design apps for Blackberry 10 – including those for play. BlackBerry stuck gold last decade with its BBM instant messenger and email app, which of course attracted a number of corporate users. However, with the launch and development of rival platforms such as Android and iOS, lack of innovation left BlackBerry far, far behind.

Among the features that make the phone stand out is the inside of the back cover which has an NFC chip. This is used to communicate wirelessly with other BlackBerry phones. It can also be used to make mobile payments with your RIM is working hard to counter its phone. one major folly so far – the lack of user-friendly apps for BB devices.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

NEWS

TECHNOLOGY

1st Internet Measurement Lab in Africa n February 2013, Kenya Education Network successfully set up the first Internet measurements lab (M-Lab) site in Africa in collaboration with the measurements lab project and Google.

The measurement lab node will enable Internet users and researchers in Kenya to test their broadband connections, measure their connection speeds and quality of connections. M-lab global servers record approximately 250,000 tests daily on the open server platform and the data collected on the M-lab platform is open for students, researchers, policy makers and individuals to analyze and help in the development of the Internet. M-Lab is a collaborative effort led by researchers in partnership with companies and other institutions still at the beginning of its development and five tools are currently available, running on 45 servers in 15 sites. M-Lab depends on the active support of additional partners including Google and Internet2 among others. The platform allows researchers to build and test Internet measurement tools that can be uploaded on the platform and tested.

The M-lab site at KENET consists of servers supplied by Google and collocated at KENET data center with a 1 Gbps connection to the Kenya Internet Exchange Point (KIXP) and at least 50 Mbps connection to the global Internet provided by KENET. Built on openly available and reliable Internet measurement tools, the setup will provide users with a myriad of tests that will include bandwidth throughput, congestion, latency, quality of service and jitter etc. Other indicators include cabling faults, duplex mismatch, detection of network address translation (NAT) and traffic shaping on an Internet connection. For more details on the tests that can be performed, visit. KENET is the Research and Education Network of Kenya and has partnered M-lab project in order to advance broadband Internet research and to empower the public, communications regulator and broadband Internet policy researchers with useful information about the speed and quality of broadband connections in Kenya. “KENET wishes to thank Google and the M-lab Teams for the support in the setup and provision of the M-lab servers.”

>> Meoli Kashorda & Kennedy Aseda Kenya EducaƟon Network

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

TECHNOLOGY

The Future of Technology

he IBM Research lab - Africa hosted a university lecture on the role of innovation dubbed the ‘Future of Technology’ on Thursday, February 7 2013 at the modern auditorium at Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). The key note speaker was by Dr. John Kelly, Senior Vice President in charge of IBM research. Other key guests included Dr. Kamal Bhattacharya the Director, IBM Research Africa and Professor Uyi Stewart, the Chief Scientist of the lab and Dr. Bitange Ndemo, Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication in Kenya. Dr. Kelly was part of the senior IBM leadership team that included the CEO of IBM that was visiting Kenya in February 2013.

laboratory and the first science and technology research lab in the Africa continent. It will conduct both applied and far-reaching exploratory research. Kenyan and African research fellows will join other IBM researchers in solving African socio-economic problems in the areas of smart cities, food security, water, energy, health and water among others. This will require the participation of researchers in Kenya and Africa. The IBM Research’s presence in Kenya is expected to encourage and strengthen innovative culture in Kenya and Africa at large, and engage local innovators and entrepreneurs to develop solutions to the challenges faced by the people of the surrounding region.

In his lecture on the future of technology, Dr. Kelly highlighted the need to develop new high-performance cognitive computers that will be required to process the large volumes of data being generated by the Internet of Things and for use in “Big Data” analytics required to solve the many of the socio-economic problems in the Africa and the world. When asked by one of the researchers if IBM was willing to bring Watson to Africa. Dr. Kelly answered “Yes, if someone suggests a big problem for it to solve”. Watson is the artificial language and Natural Language for computers that is able to solve very complex problems.

The IBM Africa research lab has already started working on traffic jam analysis in Nairobi using the existing lowresolution security cameras infrastructure in Nairobi and setting up a Cancer registry in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute, a member of KENET.

The IBM Research lab - Africa is IBM’s 12th global

Kenya Education Network, the research and education network of Kenya facilitated the invitations of the 600 participants from the Kenyan academic community that included faculty, ICT innovation champions and students from different universities in Kenya. In addition, there were participants from the directorate of E-government, the World Bank and ICT private-sector innovation companies and hubs.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

PROFILE

Eng.

Andy ndy.P.Burnard retired from active Engineering consultancy practice since End of 2012.

Andy, graduated from Manchester University in 1960 and was then recruited by the Chief Civil Engineer of the London MidlandRegion of British Railways as a Graduate Trainee. His training comprised training on design and construction of Walsall District Engineer Engineerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office Permanent way, buildings, steel and concrete structures, pre stressed concreterailway bridges at the Euston Headquarters of the LMR in London, and later Penrith in Cumbria. Eng.Burnard was later posted to Carlisle to supervise the construction of a new electric locomotive maintenance depot to replace the old steam locomotive maintenance depot there. His next posting was to Liverpool where he left the railways to take up the position of Assistant Resident Engineer on the construction of the Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. By 1973 this, together with its very complex M&E installations, was well in hand and Eng.Burnard wishing for a complete change, was accepted, for a Civil Engineering post with the East African Harbours Corporation in Dar es Salaam. However, just before he and his family were due to leave UK for Tanzania he was appointed as Assistant Port Engineer, Civil, at Mombasa where he arrived in November of 1973. As assistant to the Port Engineer he was responsible for the maintenance of all the Port berths, structures, roads, offices and housing and when the Port Engineer, Eng.A.A.Baxter, retired in 1976,Eng.Burnard was appointed in his place. The Headquarters of the Corporation was located in Dar es Salaam but all its Ports were then in the initial stages of their modernisation from traditionally based cargo handling installations and he was thus closely involved with the introduction of much new equipment and the construction of new Berths 16, 17 and 18 at Mombasa, in addition to the maintenance of the existing equipment and infrastructure and the building of new housing estates to accommodate staff.

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In this capacity he dealt with all the Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and Marine Engineering work in Kenyan ports at a time when the pace of development, particularly associated with the introduction of containerized cargo and the specialized handling equipment required to deal with such cargo, was increasing. Retiring from Kenya Ports Authority in 1986 Eng.Burnard established his own consulting practice in Mombasa as Andrew P. Burnard and Associates and over the next 26 years this Practice was involved in the design, implementation and project management of many engineering works in Kenya and East Africa generally. Such works include the reconstruction of the Likoni Ferry ramps and terminals in Mombasa for Kenya Ferry Services Ltd, the rehabilitation of Berths 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Kipevu Bridge in the Port of Mombasa and the construction for Kenya Ports Authority of the 85 m high Control Tower, with its state of the art electronics controlling shipping in the Port and its approaches and forming an impressive entrance feature admired by many visitors, to the Port. Eng.Burnard has been a keen Member of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya since his arrival in 1973 and served on its Mombasa Branch Committee for some 35 years in the capacity of Member, Secretary for many years and Chairman on several occasions

YOUR SAY

Collapsed Structures

>> Eng. Samuel N. Charagu, Eng. G.Manguriu and Mr. L.M.Njuki email:scharagu2000@gmail.com

study on collapsing structures conducted show that lack of quality control on construction materials and workmanship contributes to the collapse of building structures. Execution of work without approval, unskilled workers, batching methods, lack of supervision and poor workmanship were among the factors leading to collapse of building structures. It is found that the designers do not follow their designs leading to poor construction. It is observed that more supervision by the supervising Engineer, making sure that materials are tested for compliance with specifications will reduce collapse on building structures. It is worth noting that Quality Control during the construction process is extremely important in order to safeguard the value of the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment and safe lives. There has been frequent collapse of structures in Kenya leading to injuries and deaths in the recent past. These construction sites accidents which are avoidable have claimed lives of innocent Kenyans robbing families of their breadwinners and loved ones; causing irreparable damage to the injured workers and people who eke out a living trading around the construction site. Among the most tragic and fatal construction site accidents include the following:-

Item

Description

Date

Casualities

Reported Cases of failure

Ronald Ngala Junction

23/9/06

13 Dead and Several wounded

Causes of failure were poor design and supervision, poor materials and workmanshi p. The columns failed due to bending failure.

Kisii Collapsed building at Kisii District

6/06/09

1 dead 11 hospitalized 7 persons reported missing

Concrete did not meet the minimum strength for structural elements (Core strength = 14.7N/ mm2 < 20N/mm2 Construction exceeded by 3 floors showing lack of proper supervision.

Comcraft House in Nairobi City

16/09/10

(None)

-Corroded supporting RHS which lowered strength of member. -Lack of regular maintenance

Kiambu Town Buildings

19/10/09

Dead 16

-Strength concrete 7.3 -7.7 N/mm2

Survived with injuries 16

<25 N/mm2 Design strength) -No records of approval of works at every stage of construction

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

YOUR SAY

Kiambu Town Buildings

10/01/10

3 dead

-Poor quality materials -Lack of professional input on supervision

Mombasa (Spare Area off Jomo Kenyatta Avenue Plot No. 12/178) Collapsed Bldg

9/04/09

1 dead

-No approved drawing

1 rescued alive from site

-Poor supervision

5. injured & hospitalised 7.

>> Side view of a collapsed building at Kiambu

Building in Pi peline Estate, Embakasi

14/06/11

4- Dead Many injured and 14 No. Unaccounted for

To establish the major causes of collapse of building structures, a research was carried out through Surveys, Questionnaires, analysis of experimental data from Ministry of public works, non destructive and material tests from sampled sites. The results show that lack of quality control on construction materials and workmanship contributed to the collapse of building structures. Execution of work without approval, unskilled workers, batching methods, lack of supervision and poor workmanship were among the factors leading to collapse of building structures. It was also found that the designers do not follow their designs leading to poor construction.During research, it was noted that some foremen do not follow the specifications and are not keen on procedures in construction.

Strength concrete 7.7-9.4 N/mm2 <20 N/mm2

olumn reinforcement steel on first floor. There’s no allowance for cover on the outer face. Column reinforcement steel from ground floor as indicated by arrow is bent inappropriately thus introducing a weak point. It can thus be concluded that the causes of collapse of building structures includes deficient designs since Engineers do not carry out the designs by themselves and Lack of Quality Control on construction materials and workmanship as indicated by 78% of the Engineers. Other causes includes the problem of lack of tested materials, problems with execution of work by contractor without approval, Unskilled workers, Batching methods, Sub-standard materials, Lack of proper equipment and tools, Poor workmanship, Lack of supervision resulting to poor quality work on the site, lack of local authorities’ capacity to check incompetent designs and also inadequate visits to the sites by supervising Engineers.

>> Column reinforcement steel on first floor. There’s no allowance for cover on the outer face. Column reinforcement steel from ground floor as indicated by arrow is bent inappropriately thus introducing a weak point.

Poor workmanshi p Poor Quality of materials

he collapse indicates that something went wrong during construction. Generally, the causes of collapse of structures include:-Inadequate geotechnical a n d m a t e r i a l s i nve s t i g a t i o n s , u s e o f inappropriate specifications,incompetent design,poor workmanship,lack of ethics,poor supervision,misunderstanding between parties to the contract,use of inappropriate materials or unskilled workers.

Inadequate design of structural members

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Recommendations It is recommended that there should be more supervision of the works by the Supervising Engineer, making sure that materials are tested for compliance with specifications and putting more emphasis on importance of Quality control. Since the major cause of collapse of buildings is concrete work, mix designs be done before any concrete works are carried out and the supervising Engineer to ensure that adopted mix design is followed during construction. References 1. Eng. Sam Mambo. (2010). Why Engineering Structures Fail. Journal of the institution of Engineers of Kenya, Vol. 31, Issue 2 , pg 28-29. 2. Arditi, D., and Gunaydin, H.M. (1997). Total Quality Management in the Construction Process. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 15, Issue 4, 235243. 3. Ministry of Public works (MOPW), General SpecificaƟons For Building Works 1976 4. Ministry of Public works (MOPW) http://www.publicworks.go.ke. Engineers Reports on projects 5. Kenya Standard KS2183:2009 (KEBS 2009, First EdiƟon 2009).

YOUR SAY

Cross Country Pipeline Petroleum Pumps

Eldoret Parallel Pipelines, there are a total of 12 No. 1MW and 1.5 MW 3.3 KV AC mainline pump motors. All the mainline pumpsets in KPC employ fluid couplings for pump speed control. Variable frequency Drives - These are also called variable speed drives, or inverter drives. These operate by varying the frequency and voltage applied to the AC motor, resulting in a variation in Motor speed and Torque. The motors most commonly used in Industry are AC squirrel Cage Induction Motors, accounting for 50% of all electricity usage in industrialized countries.

r a n s p o r t a t i o n o f Pe t r o l e u m Products by Pipeline is efficient, reliable, and safe. Cross country Pipelines are responsible for transporting both crude and refined Petroleum Products worldwide across vast territories and distances. Typical Pipeline Lengths are 500-1000 km, the longest Pipeline in the world being the 5327 km long Druzhba oil Pipeline, crossing through Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Czech republic and Hungary . In contrast the Kenya Pipeline Company network is about 1225 Km long. A Pipeline network features an Origin pump station and booster pump stations located along the network. It is necessary to control the pressure along the length of the Pipeline at the suction and/or discharge of each pump in the pipeline, and for this, it is required to vary the speed of the Pumps, and various methods are employed to do this. Traditionally, most cross country pipeline pumps in the MW range have employed Fluid couplings to vary the pump Speed. However, all over the world, some companies have changed to variable speed drives, an example being AEC Pipelines of Canada which employed a 3500 HP VFD (Variable frequency drive) in 1987 on a crude oil pipeline, the first application of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind in Canada. The application of a 3500 Hp variable frequency drive for Pipeline Pump Control.IEEE transactions on Industry

applications 25. In Pipeline Operators, discussions have been ongoing about whether to change to Variable speed drives from Fluid couplings. This paper explores the various arguments. Fluid coupling Vs Variable Speed drive Fluid Coupling - This method is also called hydro-Kinetic transmission, meaning that power is transmitted by Kinetic Energy. The input shaft of the Fluid coupling is connected to the drive motor, and the output shaft is connected to the driven load, which in this case is the pump. A typical petroleum pipeline pump with Fluid coupling speed control is shown in Fig 1 below. The fluid coupling is filled with mineral oil, which is the medium for transmission of kinetic energy from the impeller to the runner. However, there still are systems that use synthetic oils, and water as a medium of power transmission. The level of oil in the working circuit determines the output speed of the Fluid coupling. This level is controlled by a tube called a scoop tube, whose position is controlled by a control motor whose position input is a 4-20 MA signal. For pumps in the range of MW, the fluid coupling method is very efficient up to 96% and has been the preferred method. This method has been in use for more than 80 years. Kenya Pipeline Company has got a total of 17 No. Mainline pump motors along the Mombasa- Nairobi Pipeline, rated 1600 Kw, 3.3 Kv AC and 1760 Kw, 6.6 Kv AC. Along the Nairobi-

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

It is worth noting that there are differences between low power VFDs and the multiMW VFDs used on petroleum pipelines. These differences are mostly brought about by limits in power ratings of the components used in low power VFDs. Traditionally, due to power limitations on IGBTs, most multi MW VFDs employed SCRs, but with IGBTs in the market rated over 3000A and 6600 V, Multi MW VFDs are now incorporating IGBTs for commutation (switching). This allows use of pulse width Modulation techniques, increasing efficiencies up to 96%. About the author E n g . To n y W a s h i k a undertook an MSc in Sustainable Energy Engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden part time( 2006-2012) . He has worked in Mumias Sugar Company, Agro Chemicals and Food Company Muhoroni and is currently a Senior Engineer (Instrumentation and Control) at Kenya Pipeline Company as Electrical Engineer. Eng Washika is a Registered Engineer, member of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya, and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). >> Eng.Tony Washika Kenya Pipeline Company email: tonywashika@ieee.org, tonywashika@yahoo.com.

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

YOUR SAY

Future Urban Mobility Concepts

ccording to the latest revision of the United Nations report on world urbanization, for the first time in our history more than half the world’s population is now living in urban environments - and it is estimated that this will increase to two in three people by 2040. What we are experiencing is the impact of urbanization on a global scale, leading to the rapid growth of ‘megacities’ as populations grow and people continue to migrate from rural areas to find work in cities. At the same time global car ownership has now reached one billion and is expected to continue to rise, some estimates putting this at two billion cars within a few decades. How can we fit this growing number of cars in to the increasingly densely populated megacities of the future? Is there any point in trying to do this anyway, when we will only be faced with more and more congestion plus the difficulty and expense of finding

somewhere to park? What we are experiencing is the impact of urbanization on a global scale, leading to the rapid growth of ‘megacities’ During the last five years the cost of congestion in major towns around the world has almost tripled. It is clear that the rise of the megacity and growth in the number of cars on the world’s roads is not going to be sustainable unless the cars and the megacities of the future become completely integrated. The scale of this challenge is leading to an explosion of innovative thinking and development of new concepts for achieving this, fuelled by the economic benefits that are expected. One key shift in thinking that is required is recognizing that the problem we are trying to solve is not just how to get more cars in to, and around, our megacities, but how to deal with the millions of people living in these cities who all have places they need to get to. In the future individuals, companies and megacity authorities will need to provide personalized and efficient urban mobility solutions across different

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

transport modes in order to address this issue. So, what does the growth of megacities mean for the car and car companies alike? Firstly the design of the megacity car is likely to be radically different from the city cars of today. Secondly our relationship with the car is also likely change. Cars of future megacities are likely to be a lot smaller in comparison to cars today and may not even look like the same. Car manufacturers and other researchers are embracing this opportunity and are already working on imaginative concepts that fit neatly with the need to integrate the car and megacity. General Motors’ EN-V zero emissions electric networked car concept is one example of this. Their concept is extremely small, environmentally friendly, and highly maneuverable. The vehicle is also “networked enabled” meaning it can share information about its location and speed with other vehicles so that it can drive autonomously. The car also has the ability to come to you when you call for it. Another example o f a

megacity concept are the NISSAN EPORO robot cars that are taking existing collision avoidance technology to a whole new level by developing “swarming” algorithms modeled on the behaviors observed in shoals of fish, to avoid collisions and optimize the movement of large numbers of vehicles in close proximity. N i s s a n ’s E P O R O r o b o t c a r s a r e investigating the use of algorithms based on shoaling fish to avoid collisions. Th e M a s s a c h u s e t t s I n s t i t u t e o f Technology’s (MIT) city car concept is also specifically optimized for megacities, replacing the traditional drive train with four in wheel electric motors which allow the car to do ‘O-turns’ and move sideways. By dispensing with the traditional drive train and steering wheel, MIT engineers managed to free up their designers, allowing them to create a novel folding and stacking concept inspired by supermarket trolleys. By utilizing this technique, MIT were able to fit up to eight of these city cars in to a traditional parking space . M I T ’s M e d i a L a b i s working on a compact ‘City C a r ’

c o n c e p t wh i ch c o u l d h e l p e a s e congestion In addition to these radical changes in car design and associated technologies in our megacities, I believe there will also be a paradigm shift in the way we see the city car as consumers. The car as the symbol of freedom and independence looks very different from the perspective of the megacity when you need to store the car as well as find (and pay) for parking whenever you want to use it. Some may even question why would you want to own a city car at all when, to quote MIT’s designers, “drivers could simply drop the car off at the stack nearest to their destination and walk away”. To assess the feasibility of such a shift in thinking we must see if there is any evidence that consumers will be prepared to radically change their relationship with the city car. Two current trends suggest there is. There is currently a massive growth in car sharing business models with car companies themselves embracing this initiative. Secondly generation-Y consumers don’t seem to have the same affinity with the idea of owning the car as previous generations (a trend which

YOUR SAY

is proving challenging to the marketing departments of car companies globally). Perhaps for the present generation-Y, freedom and independence is not represented by the car but the smart phone, a device that provides the means to form relationships with people all over the world without the need to be physically mobile at all. Looking back, in many cases it is hard to see how emerging technologies overcame the barriers they faced on the way and didn’t just wither on the vine. What’s clear is that when they did overcome these challenges it was because the benefits to society were so great that it was inevitable that people would embrace them. ‘Back casting’ to understand how emerging technologies of the past evolved in to products and behaviors of today will be a useful tool for technology businesses, designers and city authorities when forecasting with these emerging megacity technologies and changing societal trends of today. With the benefits of embracing these new technologies shaping up to be so great, I believe the megacity car will find a way to overcome the many barriers to market that it currently faces, and that it may well become a reality perhaps sooner than we might think.

>> GM’s EN-V concept car is small, environmentally friendly and highly maneuverable

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

PICTORIAL

An Artist’s impression

PICTORIAL

of Konza Techno City

H.E. The President Mwai Kibaki Laying the foundation stone. KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

AAK he engineers chapter of Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) held a dinner on Thursday,29th November 2012 at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi. The dinner themed “The role of engineers in the development of infrastructure,ICT and Housing” was attended by senior government officials among them Philip Sika,PS Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan and PS Ministry of Public Works, Arch Gideon Mulyungi,National Construction Authority executive director,Arch.Daniel Manduku among others.

Architects and Engineers dinner

The event kicked off at 8pm with sponsors making their presentations followed by those of the chief guests. Among the sponsors of the event were Savannah Cement, Apex Steel, Structural Audit Systems ltd. The Engineers Chapter of AAK is one of the five chapters formed at the inception of AAK in 1967. The chapter of the body which mainly deals with the built and natural environment currently has 61 members comprising of 3

Procurement Oversight Authority to give clear direction on the matter. “Proper remuneration of engineering services will ensure that quality service is provided”, he added.

Fellows,56 corporate and 3 graduates. Speaking at the event, Eng.Nathaniel Matalanga pointed that engineers could not adequately meet their objectives in the building industry without support and cooperation from architects, town planners and quantity surveyors. He thanked AAK for offering the platform for the mentioned professionals to meet. “Real development can only be achieved if we develop our infrastructure and Kenya being strategically located to be an economic hub of the region, we need to improve our infrastructure to benefit from this advantage”, said Eng.Matalanga. He pointed that the government has clear guidelines on scales of fees to be charged for the provision of professional services and that AAK had managed to get the Public

“We are not being fully utilized” ~ Architects

rchitects have complained of not being utilized in the country. Speaking during a dinner held at Serena Hotel by the engineer’s chapter of the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK), architect Stephen Oundo said that they had sent proposals to the different constituencies to carry out projects under CDF for free but only 16 responded positively. AAK members had teamed up to take up a development project in each constituency after

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

Following consistent push to the authorities, it was announced that professionals had been excluded from getting Single Business Permits. Approval of building plans The local authorities require that developers indemnify building plans and insist on professionals being employed for the design and construction supervision of buildings. An online register to be maintained at the local authority websites was proposed as it would shorten the approval process. The register is to show record of ongoing construction, submitted plans pending approval and feedback on reason for non-approval can be immediately communicated to the professionals concerned.

the president had last year expressed his concern at the seemingly high fees charged by professionals in the built environment. They thus resolved to take up a project in each of the constituencies in order to show Kenyans the value for money in the design in terms of aesthetics, structural integrity and the timely completion of these projects. They were to carry out the projects without charging any professional fees. “The trial project, the refurbishment of Karen Police Station in Langata Constituency is already under construction and expected to finish by the end of this year”, said Eng. Nathaniel Matalanga in his speech during the dinner. Another event being done by the team is the refurbishment of the Kabete stadium.

IEK

CCK - Preparations for World Radio Conference (WRC - 15)

Management has been designated as the focal point for this and will lead this Committee. It is expected that the first meeting on the National Preparatory Committee shall be on or around 6th February 2013.

he International telecommunications Union (ITU) convenes a World Radio Conference regularly after every three or four years. The last such conference took place in January/February 2012 and the next one (to be called WRC-15) will be held in Geneva Switzerland from 2nd – 27th November 2015.

The Committee will examine the various agenda items and deliberate in detail how it affects the country, especially in realisation of vision 2030. Proposals will then be formulated for each agenda item and forwarded to the government for approval, after which the proposals will be forwarded to the ITU and published as an official WRC-15 Conference document. An accredited delegation will then be constituted whose instruments will be signed by the President, Head of Government or the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This will enable the delegation to attend the Conference and eventually sign the Final Acts at the close of the Conference.

These World Radio Conferences are necessary in order to come up with methods to ameliorate the ever mounting challenges of managing the radio frequency spectrum, which arises from the ever increasing demands due to the ever increasing number of users of existing radiocommunication services, as well as an ever increasing number of new types of radiocommunication services. The agenda of the WRC-15 has a total of 28 agenda items which falls in six broad categories listed below: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Mobile radio communications and radio amateur issues Science issues Aeronautical and maritime radio communications and Radiolocation issues Satellite Services issues: FSS &MSS Satellite Regulatory Issues Future work programme and other general issues

The country preparation for a world radio conference is a difficult and tedious process and it thus becomes necessary to have a good lead time. In this regard therefore, the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) has constituted multi –organizational national preparatory committee comprising of all organisations who are major consumers of the radio frequency spectrum. The membership has been drawn from inter alia; • Ministry of Information and Communications • Kenya National Communications Secretariat • The telecommunication network operators • Kenya Broadcasting Corporation • The Kenya Media Owners Association, • Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, • Kenya Maritime Authority • The Security agencies and other government bodies, • Radio Society of Kenya Various stakeholders have been requested to nominate one suitable officer to participate in the work of the National Preparatory Committee for WRC-15. Mr. S. K. Kibe, the CCK of Director of Frequency Spectrum

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

STUDENTS

case their projects. The two successful projects which were:-

2013 Innovation Summer School BME >> Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, KenyaƩa University email: nzomo.marƟn@ku.ac.ke, >> School of Engineering & Technology KenyaƩa University email: mambo.shadrack@ku.ac.ke

his year’s Africa-wide 2013 Innovation Summer School on Biomedical Engineering (BME) will be hosted by Kenyatta University (KU) in early August. The institution was chosen during the progress review and planning meeting for the Engineering Expertise for Improved Healthcare in Africa held at Kenyatta University on 4th to 5th December 2012.

Last year’s BME Summer School event which took place on 6th through 10th August, was hosted by Makerere University, Kyambogo University and the Uganda Industrial Research Institute. It was attended by students and lecturers from Addis Ababa University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, U nive r s ity o f M a law i , Makerere University, Kyambogo University, University of Nairobi, Chepkoilel University College (now Eldoret University), Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Kenyatta University. Additional resource persons were drawn from University of Pisa, Italy, and Amalthea Trust, UK.

United Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) through which they were funded. All participating students were awarded a certificate of attendance to the 2012 Innovators Summer School from 6-10 August 2012 in Kampala, Uganda. The invitation by UNECA to participate in the Summer School followed KU’s successful participation in the Africawide 2011/2012 Biomedical Engineering Competition. Kenyatta University was honoured to produce two winning projects which would get funding from UNECA. As a result, two members from each winning project and their supervisors/mentors were therefore invited to the Summer School to show

The objective of the Summer School was to bring together winners of the 2011/2012 Africa-wide Biomedical Engineering Competition. Both the Competition and the Summer School took place under the auspices of the

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

•

BME Project Targeted For Under Fives represented by Ondieki M. Brian and Aketch Charles Otieno, Omondi Nelson Vitalis and Nyagetuba J. Innocent.

•

BME Project Integrated Healthcare Service Delivery Website-represented by Caroline Mwende Athman, from the Civil Engineering Department, and Boaz M. Mokaya, from the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department.

Students are encouraged to participate in BME innovative projects. Invitations are open for those interested to apply for the International Biomedical Engineering Design Competition for 2012/13 and to the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA). During the 2012 BME Summer School, participants were taken through presentations in very exciting technical and emerging areas in Biomedical Engineering as follows:1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Innovation In Hospital Equipment, Management And Maintenance Management of Hospital Equipment in the Local Setting Innovation Innovation in Diagnostics focusing on Smart Sensing Innovation in Mobile Health Intellectual Property And Technology Commercialization Entrepreneurship especially the Basics of Entrepreneurship

Students returning from a well deserved break

STUDENTS both teams right from the onset of the preparations, the entertainment and the ultimate GAME! This was the best Christmas gift to the sports men and women from both teams that was long awaited.

E.S.A – HUAWEI SPORTS FUN DAY.

enya is on a developing trend when it comes to sports and there is no limit as to how much we can do to achieve our goals. In every aspect, sports has proved to be a great pass time, mind relaxer and not just that, sports is big business. Every day in this country, there’s always a sporting event taking place. Be it time at the gym, indoor games or even the more evident outdoor games.

The Engineering students sports tournament kicked off in November, 2012. The students got the opportunity to compete at inter class levels before proceeding to the interdepartmental level. The tournament that is scheduled to come to the finals in April 2013 and aims to: Enhance team work among the students, promote social growth, entertainment and a way of relaxing away from books and keeping fit through regular exercising. At the end of the year 2012, before the Christmas break, it was time to have a friendly and evaluate the progress.

football fixtures. The day began with high energy with each team looking forward to a victory and to carry the coveted trophy for the day. Both representatives turned out in large numbers with their respective supporters to cheer them on. As the football game proceeded, the teams picked up pace, with each safe guarding their goal posts from their opponents. The game went on without a hitch until the final moment when the game ended with the students winning the football against Huawei technologies. This was followed by a break as the next set of players prepared for the basketball game. This was a very hot encounter with the Huawei team attacking and sending counter backs against the astounded students. Despite the efforts by the students to guard their baskets, it ended with the Huawei team carrying the basketball trophy for the day. The game was a pleasant surprise to

The students tournament is on-going, now at the semi-finals stage and scheduled to wind up in April this year with the finals. The finals are set to include more students, corporates and indeed, more games. Certificates were awarded to participants for the fun day and also at the finals as more trophies and awards will be issued. For this tournament, it is hard to predict the winner as every team is putting their best foot forward. But it is very easy to predict that every person who participates will have a good account of themselves. Let’s brace ourselves towards the finals which will surely have all the ingredients for fun and sport. As challenging as sports is, final words to the participants: “Always work hard and trust in God. Challenges are part of the game and it is only sweet victory that will put your thudding heart to rest, and a smile of satisfaction engraved on your heart. Enjoy the game and win it!” >> Sally L. Musonye.

It was at this point that the Huawei Technologies (K) Ltd came on board for a friendly fixture against the students. On the 15th December, 2012, a sports fun day was held at the University of Nairobi grounds. The major games played were football and basketball that also included the ladies participation in their various capacities. The main aim of the day was to enhance interactions, promote understandings and an opportunity to relax while keeping fit. Huawei Technologies and the Engineering students were each to form teams that would play against each other in the basketball and

KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013

IEK IEK COUNCIL

MEMBERS OF IEK COMMITTEES

POSITION NAME Chairman Eng. J M Riungu 1st Vice Chairman Eng. R K Kosgei 2nd Vice Chairman Eng. M E Okonji Hon. Secretary Eng. M Shiribwa Hon. Treasurer Eng. R K Chepkwony Member Eng. H J Nyaanga Member Eng. W R Okubo OGW Member Eng. R Kung’u Member Eng. C Ogut Member Eng. H S Amaje Member Eng. J Mutilili Member Eng. C Juma Retiring Past Chairman Eng. D M Wanjau Chairman Mombasa Branch Eng. Z Anganya Vice Chairman Mombasa Branch Eng. M Owuor Branch Sec/ Treasurer Mombasa Branch Eng. J O Odumbe Chairman Western Branch Eng. P M Wambua Vice Chairman Western Branch Eng. S K Mahanu Branch Sec/Treasurer Western Kenya Eng. I Chebii

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Eng. J M Riungu Chairman Eng. M.Shiribwa Member Eng. R Chepkwony Member Eng. R K Kosgei Member Eng. M E Okonji Member MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Eng. M E Okonji Eng. M Shiribwa Eng. S N Charagu Eng. Rosemary Kung’u Eng. W Okubo Eng. John Nyaguti

DISCIPLINE AND ARBITRATION COMMITTEE Eng. Francis Ngokonyo Member Eng. Shem O Noah Member Eng. E Mwongera Member Eng. W Okubo Member TRAINING COMMITTEE Eng. J Riungu Eng. S Ouna Eng. C Ogut Eng. G. Njorohio Eng. P Okaka JOURNAL COMMITTEE A A McCorkindale F W Ngokonyo N O Booker J N Kariuki Prof M Kashorda S M Ngare Allan Muhalia A W Otsieno S K Kibe M Majiwa

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Chairman Member Member Member Member Member

Chairman Secretary Member Member Member

Chairman Vice-Chairman Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member

WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT Eng. R Kosgei Chairman Eng. D M Wanjau Member Eng. J Riungu Member Eng. A Kosgei Member INDUSTRIALIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT Eng. H.S Amaje Chairman Eng. M.E .Okonji Vice Chair

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KENYA ENGINEER - MARCH / APRIL 2013