This archive report was first published on 3 July 2019.
On June 2019, protests by activists and communities in Lamu led to the National Environment Tribunal halting the construction of the coal project.
The move is a significant setback for the government's plans to provide affordable energy, which it hopes will spur industrial growth in the country.
Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna defended the project, saying it was necessary to increase accessibility to cheap electricity, which would eventually lead to industrial growth.
"The coal plant was found necessary for us to be able to spur and provide energy, the many projects we have as a country will help us become a mid-income economy by the year 2030 and as a government we are also looking at enhancing improving our other sources of energy such as geothermal," Oguna said.
However, environmentalists have been opposing the construction of the coal power plant, arguing that Kenya does not need coal power plants, as it has plenty of renewables.
The Sh200 billion project was proposed by the government in 2015 and has been in its planning stages for close to 6 years.
