KENYA– Agribusiness and manufacturing giant Bidco Africa has been declared the overall winner of the coveted Energy Management Award at the awards ceremony held in Nairobi, Kenya.
The awards, themed ‘Setting the pace in resource efficiency towards competitive local manufacturing’, awarded over 20 companies that have achieved significant reductions in their energy consumption through implementation of energy efficient measures and technologies.
Food companies, including James Finlay – Saosa Tea Extract Factory, Farmers Choice, Premier Foods, Frigoken, Sotik Highlands Tea, Gitugi Tea Factory and several others also took various awards, in a night the food industry demonstrated their continued focus and leadership in energy management issues and the sustainability agenda.
The Bidco Africa team at the awards were led by the company’s founder BD Shah who could not hide his joy at receiving the award with his team.
Speaking during the event, Chief Administrative Secretary and Principal Secretary, Renewable Energy, Prof. Colleta Suda noted the Government of Kenya’s commitment to providing universal energy access as a means to build and spur social economic development.
“We are all aware that energy is a significant enabler in achieving the Big 4 Agenda. The Government is committed to the provision of affordable, reliable, quality and sustainable power. This is evident in the various projects that various government agencies have embarked on such as the Boresha Viwandani Initiative by Kenya Power, the development of various transmission lines by KETRACO and the geothermal development being steered by KenGen,” added Prof. Suda.
The Kenyan Government has elevated manufacturing and food security as two of the four agenda items it is focusing on during the second term of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s second term.
High costs of electricity coupled with unreliable power continue to bedevil the manufacturing sector in Kenya.
However, Principal Secretary of the ministry of Energy, Dr. Joseph Njoroge, has promised the industry that considering that manufacturing takes the bulk of Kenya’s electricity demand, focus has shifted to ensure reliable, consistent power to the sector.
He reiterated the role of Government in supporting the manufacturing sector with policy and regulatory frameworks to achieve the Big 4 Agenda.
KAM Chair Ms Flora Mutahi noted that Kenya is one of the countries in Africa that has shown commitment and leadership in embracing renewable energy.
“As the first country in Africa to produce geothermal power at 200MW and a notable solar energy producer, we have the aptitude to lead in energy efficiency through sustainable approaches such as recycling and reusing of our waste,” added Ms. Mutahi.
The Kenya Association of Manufacturers, an industry lobby group that brings together the manufacturing sector in Kenya, organizes the Energy Management Awards.
It seeks to foster a culture of energy efficiency and conservation, and recognize enterprises that have made major and sustainable gains in energy efficiency through the application of modern energy management principles and practices, and in the process made significant energy and cost reductions.
