Kenya to Speed Up Hydrocarbon Laws

Kenya is looking to speed up efforts to adopt required legislation to exploit its oil and gas resources.

"So we need to quickly finish the document, confirm from the industry players that they are happy with it, and take it through the legislative process," Energy and Petroleum Secretary Davis Chirchir told reporters, Reuters reported.

East Africa has seen significant natural gas discoveries in recent years, mainly in Tanzania and Mozambique and Kenya too is witnessing increased interest from global players.

Chirchir did not provide an exact timeframe for when the natural gas regulations and overhaul of existing petroleum laws would be done, reuters further added..

Chirchir said some oil companies licensed to prospect for oil and gas in the country's blocks were reluctant to do so for fear of discovering gas without a suitable legal and fiscal framework to commercialise the gas, Reuters reported.