In response to the invigorated interest in upstream investment in East Africa, Kenya's president Mwai Kibaki has set out his social and environmental parameters that will dictate exploration activities.

Speaking on his behalf in Mombasa, vice-president Kalonzo Musyoka said that environmental sustainability was a prerequisite to social and economic development and must be an utmost consideration for upstream companies looking to gain a footing in Kenya.

Capital Business reports that the president also strongly iterated the need to enhance training capacities to ensure that all members of Kenyan society could benefit from potential oil finds.

"As a region, we need to introduce modalities for training top scientists, engineers, lawyers and economists specialising in the petroleum industry, so as to enhance the domestic value-chain of any commercial discoveries," he implored.

Interest in the region has piqued with the discovery of reserves in neighbouring Uganda, which Tullow, as operator of the exploration licence, has recently deemed commercial in scope.

5th Global Education and Training event for Oil and Gas: Exploration and Production