Policy Brief No. 16 of 2022/2023 on Training as a Catalyst to Develop a Local Skills Base for Kenya’s Oil and Gas Upstream Sector

Abstract

The discovery of oil in Northern Kenya in 2012 was a monumental moment for the country. It revitalized hope to economically spur growth by Kenya potentially becoming an oil producer in the future. Seven years later, the country flagged off its very first export consignment of 200,000 barrels of crude oil, effectively joining the league of oil exporters. This was made possible through the Early Oil Pilot Scheme (EOPS) at Ngamia and Amosi fields commissioned in June 2018 (KNBS, 2020). Yet, amid these wins, the oil and gas industry is plagued with several challenges, including inadequate capacity. The upstream segment of oil and gas, which involves exploration, development, and production of crude oil is the most affected when it comes to human capacity. This is because it is characterized by specialized services that require highly specialized skills, unlike the midstream and downstream counterparts.