KEPSA CEO Ms Carole Kariuki on 7^th July 2022 met with Kenya Oil and Gas Association (KOGA) leadership at KEPSA Offices. The KOGA delegation included Mr Franklin Juma, Ms Purity Karau and Ms Rehema Mohamed. Also present during the meeting was the KEPSA Energy and Extractives Sector Board Chair, Mr George Aluru.

The KOGA team, led by Mr Juma, commended the advocacy work done by KEPSA while noting that most of their advocacy work has been through KEPSA. Mr Juma said that KOGA appreciates the benefits of being part of KEPSA and this extends to their membership.

KOGA’s key focus is on a special policy for the upstream sector which will enhance the business operating environment, capacity building through offering an opportunity to both students and graduates and addressing ease of doing business, especially at the county level where there have been challenges with approvals and licensing. This will enhance the flow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country.

On her part, the KEPSA CEO informed the meeting that KEPSA is working with different stakeholders to address the competitiveness challenges at the county level. One way, she said, was through the County ToolKit which is an information guide on county governance for citizens, county officials and practitioners. Already 34 counties have signed to the toolkit and KEPSA is pushing to have all the 47 counties sign to it.

KEPSA has been pushing for a one-stop shop for all government approvals. “Having a County Competitive Index in place will help us to identify the gaps in different counties and to come up with solutions to ensure businesses in the counties are competitive,” said Ms Kariuki.

Ms Kariuki also encouraged KOGA to engage other stakeholders to appraise them of the project. This is because some policies which affect the business negatively are enacted due to a lack of a deeper understanding.

KEPSA promised to continue supporting KOGA in ensuring a conducive business environment for the upstream sector.