Legal requirements for geothermal development in Kenya

Abstract

The development of geothermal resource requires compliance with the relevant National and International laws and regulations to ensure sustainability. The Constitution of Kenya and several Acts of Parliament together regulate and manage sustainable utilisation of geothermal resources. The two main laws that specifically deal with geothermal development are Geothermal Resources Act of 1982 and its supplementary legislation of 1990, and the Environmental Management and Coordination Act of 1999 with its associated regulations. The other laws and regulations do not directly apply to geothermal but their implications affect geothermal development at various stages and in various ways. A number of these laws and regulations have been discussed briefly in this paper.