A tribunal in Kenya has halted plans for East Africa’s first coal-powered plant. The proposed project would have been built adjacent to the Lamu Archipelago, part of which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site as the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in the region. Lamu has hosted major Muslim religious festivals since the 19th century and has become a significant center for the study of Islamic and Swahili cultures.
The project was endorsed by recently-appointed Ambassador Kyle McCarter, who said: “Kenya needs a larger, less costly base load of power first. Coal is the cleanest least costly option.” However, the issue is divisive in Kenya with many protesting the need for a coal plant as the fuel continues to be phased out worldwide, including McCarter’s home state of Illinois.
Link : https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/06/27/us-ambassador-pushes-coal-plant-on-african-world-heritage-site-kenya-fights-back/?fbclid=IwAR3N8p-bKo_UOGIAKVYdm5C2TALbDcEzNUTU5fS7HgSpNBuiB8qrxCzlAOI#6255b02b2ab1
