President William Ruto has pledged to provide Eni Spa, an Italian Energy firm, with 300,000 acres of land in marginalised areas of the country.
Ruto made the commitment during a meeting with the Director General of Natural Resources, Guido Brusco, at the State House in Nairobi on Thursday, March 2. The President noted that the land would be used for biofuel production.
Eni Spa has already made inroads in the country, specialising in biofuel made from castor oil grown in Baringo, Makueni, Nakuru and Mombasa Counties. The firm has already established 40,000 acres of land for castor oil production, with plans to scale up to 200,000 acres.
Ruto praised the expansion plans, noting that they would create more than 200,000 jobs. He also expressed the government’s commitment to working with organisations that champion green energy.
Eni Spa has expressed interest in geothermal, solar, waste energy and the manufacture of e-bikes in the country.
In July 2022, Eni Spa completed the construction of the oilseed collection and pressing plant in Makueni. The project is intended to embody the firm’s sustainability approach.
