The President of Kenya has said that oil has been discovered for the first time in his East Africa nation.
President Mwai Kibaki said on Monday that oil deposits had been discovered in the country's northwest over the weekend. He cautioned that commercial viability is still uncertain though it was good news for the country. But the discovery was the beginning of a long journey before Kenya could become an oil producer. The discovery was made in Kenya's Turkana region. Neighbouring South Sudan and Uganda both have oil industries. The discovery was made after exploratory drilling by Anglo-Irish firm Tullow Oil, which has said the Kenyan find had exceeded its expectations.
“This is an excellent start to our exploration campaign in the East African rift basins of Kenya and Ethiopia,” the company's exploration director said.
