Kenya’s Members of Parliament (MPs) are racing against time to formulate policies and enact legislation to accelerate biofuel development.

The MPs attending an energy meeting in Mombasa heard that the bold move is expected to cut carbon emissions, strengthen the Kenyan currency (shilling) and drive economic growth through job creation, besides lowering dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Kenya relies heavily on imported petroleum products, which subject the economy to vulnerabilities occasioned by global price volatility and supply disruptions.

Transitioning to biofuels such as ethanol-blended petrol and biodiesel would significantly reduce over-reliance on imported fossil fuels, cushion the economy against global oil price shocks and improve the country’s balance of payments.

National Assembly Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining Chair Vincent Musyoka said during an engagement with stakeholders in Mombasa and visiting Indian government delegation, ARISE, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Kenya Sugar Board, that the country needs to embrace biofuel production from cassava, sugarcane and sweet sorghum.

Mr Musyoka noted that the government is keen on promoting job creation, expansion of green energy and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

To curb emissions from fossil fuels, Musyoka said it is high time Kenya championed local biofuel production using common crops grown by smallholder farmers. The day-long meeting, which also brought together legislators from the agriculture, energy and transport committees, discussed how biofuel can be developed from crops such as cassava and sugarcane.

Musyoka said farmers can adopt mixed farming by incorporating cassava as an alternative crop. He urged Kenya to borrow a leaf from India, where the government empowered smallholder farmers through the cultivation of biofuel crops.

“As a country, we face challenges with foreign currency. As we import fuel, we are losing a significant amount of foreign exchange,” Musyoka said.

“They asked us why we shouldn’t reduce fuel imports and instead manufacture our own fuel that can be blended with imported fuel, since modern vehicles can run on locally produced biofuel. It can be blended with petrol and used in vehicles,” he explained.

The MP noted that India has enacted a law requiring 20 per cent of its fuel to be derived from biofuel crops grown by local farmers, translating into substantial economic gains.

“We did our calculations and found that if Kenya passes a law requiring 20 per cent of fuel to be biofuel, it would generate more than $300 million (Ksh38 billion) annually for farmers. We are asking why we should not follow that path,” he argued.

Musyoka said transitioning to biofuel would also support the country’s ambitious plan to plant 15 billion trees to combat climate change.

“These are the discussions we want to steer so that we eventually empower our people while protecting the environment.”

He further noted that Kenya has the potential to shift to biofuel by leveraging vast tracts of idle and fertile land, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas such as the eastern Kenya, where drought-resistant cassava can thrive.

“Biofuel will not increase fuel prices. Why should we continue buying fuel that harms the environment? Why should we buy fuel that does not benefit our farmers and citizens? Many vehicles today can run on biofuel,” the MP observed

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Sadik Hassan