KENYA NATIONAL PROJECT LAUNCH AND WORKSHOP ON RENEWABLE ENERGY
10TH – 11TH MARCH 2022
HILTON HOTEL
The Kenyan energy sector is poised to be one of the most progressive on the continent – only second to South Africa. Currently, the sector has an installed power capacity of 2,732MW with KenGen contributing 61% (1,630MW) and IPPs contributing the difference. The Ministry of Energy (MoE) is responsible for policy and planning within the sector and Kenya Power (KP) is the single off taker for grid connected power with distribution and retail functions. Geothermal Development Company (GDC) oversees early geothermal steam development while the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) develops framework and implementation of the national nuclear power development programme with a view to introducing nuclear power within the power subsector. However, other sector reforms and strategies including those proposed in the Kenyan NDCs like Solar PV and Solar Thermal Regulations, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Policy (Energy Management Regulations 2012), Universal Access of Electricity by 2020 and the FiT (2008, 2012) and Energy Act 2019 aim at opening access for the transmission and distribution systems, creation of consolidated fund and creation of the net metering
regulatory framework, among others for the stakeholders and consumers to actively engage and meet the
growing demand respectively. Regardless, statistics have increasingly shown limited involvement of key
stakeholders – especially the non-state actors – in driving a people responsive, environmentally just and
climate resilient energy systems – especially drawing the conclusions from the sector report launched by the president in 20211
To address these gaps, civil society engagement is crucial to facilitate and push for renewable energy initiatives and an energy transition that is sustainable and people-oriented. Civil society participation has the potential to ensure buy-in, prevent external interests from driving RE development, and guarantee that development is designed with a thorough understanding of the local context, social norms, values, and customs. This will be achieved by building a critical mass of the none-state-actors that will interrogate RE investments against a set of minimum criteria and ensure that RE initiatives prioritize decentralized small-scale RE investments that meet the needs of the people.
