African countries should endeavour to harness clean, green and renewable sources of energy to meet its growing demand in the continent and the world World Bank Vice President in charge of the African Region, Ms. Obiageli Ezekwesili has said.

Ms. Ezekwesili lauded Kenya for embracing the geo-thermal energy production saying this renewable source of energy was important as the world was fast moving towards green sources of energy to avoid environmental pollution.

"At this time when the whole world is grappling with the issue of Climate Change, clean, green and renewable energy is the way to go and will take this country along way in achieving the Vision 2030", she said.

Speaking when she visited the World Bank funded Olkaria Geothermal power plant in Naivasha Tuesday, Ms. Ezekwesili urged other African countries to follow the Kenyan example and use renewable and green sources of energy to solve Africa's energy crisis.

"Wind, which is freely available in many parts of Kenya for example, can be used to harnesses power for local consumption", the World Bank Vice President said.

She assured Kenya of World Bank support in her endeavour to seek green and renewable and alternative sources of energy.

Assistant Minister for Energy, Mr. Charles Keter, urged the World Bank to review the lengthy procedures used to secure funding from the institution.

"A project that costs Sh. 56 million ends up consuming shs.142million because of the tedious procedures and time taken to get funds from World Bank", Mr. Keter lamented. 

He disclosed that Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KENGEN) requires about Sh.33.7Billion to increase its geothermal power production to about 49 per cent of the country's energy requirement in the next 10 years.

The Assistant Minister noted that last year, only 250,000 new customers were connected with electricity but his ministry was working at a target of connecting over 1 million customers with power every year.

The KENGEN Managing, Mr. Eddy Njoroge, said the company was carrying out research in 12 sites in the country with a view to finding the potential there is for generating energy from wind and results will be known within a year.

He said the high cost of producing power using fuel after the Masinga dam dried up had pushed the cost of electricity in the country upwards.

Mr. Njoroge disclosed the Government had gazetted a further privatization of the Kengen Company where the Government will offload 19 per cent of its shares in the company to the public to raise funds for expansion of the company's projects.

He also noted that the company intended to increase its geo-thermal power production to 3,000 megawatts from the current 1,021 megawatts by the year 2018.