Public Forum: Energy access, affordability and efficiency in Kenya

About 80 percent of Kenya’s population is dependent on biomass, especially wood and charcoal, for basic energy needs. However, discussion about energy in Kenya is dominated by petroleum and electricity generation.

Charcoal, firewood and waste are easily accessible energy sources for many, both cheaper and more reliable than modern alternatives. 1 This comes with unsafe, unhealthy, and damaging effects on people and the environment. Can we create safe and renewable biomass systems that are environmentally sound? Or should we be building new energy systems that don't rely on biomass.

According to World Bank, 63.8 percent of the Kenyan population had access to electricity in 2017. But how is access defined? Is it simply a near transmission line or is the electricity also connected to households and affordable? There are ambitious government efforts to increase connectivity through the county wide Last Mile Connectivity Program (LMCP), leading to universal access to electricity by 2020. These efforts target low-income households in the rural areas and informal urban settlements. But does connectively automatically translate to affordability, use and therefore energy access?

The new Pay-As-You-Go Solar systems seem to provide energy access and affordability solutions for many Kenyans who cannot access electricity through the national grid. These systems provide households with solar kits on credit with small regular payments. This model is described as cost-effective and able to solve the country’s electricity crisis, while bringing millions into the financial system. Others, however, label these schemes as opportunities for solar companies to make profit off poor Africans by increasing personal indebtedness. But what are the real benefits of the various Pay-As-You-Go energy models, and who are the real winners and losers?

A reliable source of safe and affordable energy is needed to improve people’s lives, strengthen the economy and allow the land to regenerate, but many barriers still hinder an inclusive, gender-just and sustainable energy future for all Kenyans. This Public Energy Forum brought together experts at the Kenya National Theatre on 22 October 2019 to highlight the issues around energy access, efficiency and affordability in Kenya in the form of a panel discussion moderated by Arthur Muliro, Deputy Managing Director at Society for International Development.