Tullow Oil awards a third of its global scholarships to Kenya

Tullow Oil has awarded 30 Kenyan post graduate students scholarships to various universities in the United Kingdom and Europe.

The scholarships are part of the Tullow Group Scholarship Scheme that will in 2014/2015 benefit some 110 students from 8 African countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Uganda)  and South American countries (Uruguay,Suriname) at a cost of $6 million.

The 30 are from four regions that the company is carrying or planning to carry out exploration activities including Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Kisumu and Turkana which received half of all scholarships awarded.

The new awardees bring to total 55 the number of Kenyans that have benefitted from the scholarship scheme including 10 in 2012 and 15 in 2013.

Speaking during the awarding ceremony Tullow Kenya managing director Martin Mbogo noted that the large number of applications showed that there was increasing interest as well as a demand for training on oil and gas.

“This year we received over 7,000 applications from which we selected just 30 which represents a 0.5 percent success rate. This is a message to both the national and county governments and they should work hard to bridge the training gap in the country,” says Mbogo.

The training program that will cost the company 150  million shillings will last one year and will see the awardees pursue  a range of courses including engineering and technology, environment and geosciences, oil and gas economics, logistics supply chain as well as law and legal courses.

“The Tullow Group Scholarship Scheme will ensure that the success of the oil and gas industry in Kenya brings real, lasting benefits to the people and economies of the countries in which Tullow operates,” said British Council director for Kenya Tony Reilly.

The Tullow scholarship scheme was created to help build capacity in areas where Tullow’s host countries experience significant skills gaps mostly in their oil and gas industries.