Gulf Energy E&P BV has reaffirmed plans to invest nearly KES 774 billion (US$6 billion) in Kenya’s South Lokichar oil development in Turkana County and said it is targeting first crude production by December 1, 2026, as Parliament prepares to consider the project’s Field Development Plan (FDP) and production-sharing agreements.

Gulf Energy E&P BV Chairman Francis Njogu made the commitments while appearing before a Joint Parliamentary Committee of Energy meeting held as part of a public participation process ahead of the FDP ratification. The session was jointly chaired by National Assembly Departmental Committee on Energy chair David Gikaria and Senate Standing Committee on Energy vice chair Senator William Kisang.

The company is seeking parliamentary ratification in the coming weeks, a step it says is necessary to advance the project toward a Final Investment Decision (FID) and eventual production.

The South Lokichar project, located in Turkana County, is viewed as Kenya’s most advanced onshore oil development following years of exploration and appraisal in the basin. Gulf Energy told lawmakers the FDP and the production-sharing agreements place emphasis on local content, community engagement and alignment of benefits among stakeholders.

Njogu said the company’s plans include what it described as strict adherence to a “ring-fenced Local Content Strategy” and social investments intended to generate longer-term socio-economic benefits for Turkana and the wider economy.

“At Gulf Energy, we are approaching this FDP as Kenyans with a view to creating as many jobs and business opportunities for Kenyans, starting with our Turkana host community, as are committed to positioning Kenya as an oil-producing country. We are very ready, and we have set 1st December, 2026, as a target to produce oil, and we hope to expeditiously secure the FDP ratification,” Njogu said.

He told the committee Gulf Energy E&P BV is indigenously owned and has “strong financial resources” to support capital-intensive developments. Njogu added that the company has “robust financial partnerships and active lines of credit with leading local and international banking and financial institutions,” though he did not name the lenders.

“The South Lokichar project and the FDP we have presented to the Government present a technically mature pathway to unlock Kenya’s largest onshore petroleum development in a shared prosperity model,” Njogu said.

The company also referenced a cost recovery proposal included in the FDP, which it said had been approved by Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Energy Opiyo Wandayi in November. Njogu said the fiscal measures proposed in the FDP are required to meet investment and bankability thresholds for the FID.

On government revenues, the press release cited projections by the Government of Kenya of potential earnings ranging between KES 135.45 billion (US$1.05 billion at US$60 per barrel) and KES 374.1 billion (US$2.9 billion at US$70 per barrel) over the project’s life.

Njogu urged lawmakers to move quickly, arguing that the global financing environment for upstream oil is tightening. He said international lenders are increasingly restricting hydrocarbon financing in line with climate commitments and shifting capital toward lower-carbon energy.

“As a result, frontier oil projects such as South Lokichar must demonstrate strong economics, robust fiscal stability, and timely decision-making to remain competitive for capital. Any prolonged uncertainty risks placing Kenya at a disadvantage relative to other emerging oil provinces that are actively adjusting their fiscal terms to secure investment before this window closes,” he said.

Under the production-sharing contract framework, Njogu said the State retains ownership of the resource while the contractor provides technical capability and risk capital to bring it to production.

Parliament is expected to deliberate on the FDP and the production-sharing agreements before deciding on ratification in the coming weeks.

Ruiru Sports Club will host its Lady Captain’s Prize tournament on February 28 at its 18-hole course in Ruiru, Kiambu County, marking the end of Lady Captain Rodah Mukami’s two-year term. The club said the week-long programme running from February 23 to March 1 is expected to attract more than 300 golfers for the main event, one of the largest anticipated turnouts at the club in recent years.

The club’s schedule blends competitive play and social activities, with organisers positioning it as a capstone to Mukami’s tenure and a reflection of efforts to expand participation in ladies’ and junior golf at the club. Ruiru Sports Club is located along the Thika Superhighway and is part of a growing cluster of golf facilities in the Nairobi metropolitan area that are competing to host high-profile events and attract sponsor support.

Festivities will begin on February 23 with a Caddies and Staff Golf Day, which the club said is intended to recognise the role of caddies and staff in day-to-day operations. A Senior Golf Day and Mini Clubnite will follow on February 24. On February 25, the club will stage a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative alongside a Greensomes tournament, before the Lady Captain’s Prize curtain raiser on February 26. A Koroga-themed Chip and Putt event is scheduled for February 27, ahead of the main tournament on February 28. The programme will conclude on March 1 with a Juniors Mug Tournament.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Mukami said the event would highlight progress made during her term. “This tournament is not just about my exit; it is about the incredible journey we have walked together as a club. Over the past two years, we have seen our ladies grow in confidence and competitiveness, and our juniors step up with remarkable promise. That is the true victory,” said Rodah Mukami, Lady Captain, Ruiru Sports Club, in the press release.

Ruiru Sports Club said it has recently hosted a series of Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU)-linked competitions, which have helped raise its profile in women’s golf. According to the club, it hosted the KLGU Ladies 54-Hole Tournament as well as the inaugural KLGU Golfer of the Year (GOTY) event. The club also hosted the Pendant Tournament for the first time in September, which it described as among the long-running medal-format competitions on the KLGU calendar.

For the Kenyan golf ecosystem, tournament hosting remains a key lever for clubs seeking to attract membership, secure sponsorship and build junior pipelines. Increased corporate participation in club events can also signal broader interest in associating with sports properties that offer business networking and community engagement opportunities, particularly in the Nairobi and Central Kenya corridor where corporate and real estate development continues to expand.

The club said it is also seeing progress in competitive depth in women’s golf. Ruiru now has two female golfers in its elite team, according to the press release, and more junior girls are in development pathways, with some moving toward single-handicap status.

The Lady Captain’s Prize has drawn corporate sponsorship led by Family Bank as the key sponsor, the club said. Other sponsors named in the press release include Dhahabu Land Ltd, Croton Motors, Aurora Scents, Lady Captain and Friends, Compnet Advisory Systems, Fantom Estates, Auto Master and Shell.

Attention will now shift to execution of the week’s programme and participation levels across the different categories, particularly juniors, as the club closes out Mukami’s term and signals its next phase of women’s and youth golf development.