infrastructure and its reliance on relatively relatively on reliance and its infrastructure of Kenya’s energy insecurity the illustrated neatly event This capacity. generating of of 180 loss megawatts atemporary to led that of reactions achain triggering plant, hydropower region’s largest of the fell atransformer on that monkey trespassing a by caused was it that discovered later was It for hours. electricity without businesses and millions of households left in Kenya blackout power amajor year In June this and green growth development, security energy national links between The the country’s rapid development during during development rapid country’s the considering surprising not is which areas, urban large supply to sources energy few sector in renewable energy development. development. energy in renewable sector private the incorporate to need and for the choices investment for green support domestic more generate to improved be should electricity to access that emphasises It energy. for renewable full potential its realise to is Kenya if overcome be to need that hurdles and the growth for green opportunities addresses brief policy This granted. for taken be easily too not should frontrunner energy arenewable into development Kenya’s access; electricity and low and oil reserves, found coal newly capacity, government of suboptimal abackground against placed be should developments However, these growth. green boost to for Kenya of opportunities framework a new of 2013 of 2010, 2016 elections and the provide peaceful Act the Change Climate constitution new of the approval the Furthermore, align. projects energy renewable concerning priorities and donor government where aunique case provides and Kenya decarbonise to economies for national support international strong is there potential; energy green its realise to for Kenya right seems timing The objectives. change climate concerning (EAC) Community African East of the forerunner the become to policies ambitious formulated has government central The development. national country’s for the sources of energy supply and affordable of asecure importance overall the recognises state Kenyan the blueprint, development long-term national its With Kenya: A green growth utopia? Kenya: growth green A NOVEMBER 2016 1 climate to vulnerable highly country the making tourism, and agriculture resources, natural on GDP half of its for nearly depends in 2015. US$63.4 to annually percent 3–9 by grown has GDP country’s the sectors, export in agricultural and growth sector ICT of the development fast in infrastructure, higher investment by Driven climate. political stable a relatively and policies market-friendlysector, economic private astrong base, human capital a strong by facilitated growth economic substantial experienced has Kenya decade. past the (accessed October 2016). 2016). October (accessed indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?locations=KE 2016,Indicators, %) (annual growth GDP Kenya http://data.worldbank.org/ 1 Still the economy economy the Still , World Bank Bank , World
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change effects. Economic growth has Kenya has abundant exploitable renewable coincided with socioeconomic developments energy sources such as hydro, geothermal, such as population growth (population size wind and solar.4 According to the National is projected to double to 88 million by 2050), Energy Policy, fossil fuels are expected increasing urbanisation (already 82 percent to play a larger role in the country’s of the population resides in 7 per cent of electricity supply; domestic coal production Kenya’s land area)2 and a rising middle is rising and a 1,050 MW coal plant has class. These developments exert pressure been contracted in spite of legal and civil on Kenya’s energy system and will lead to opposition. With the discoveries of coal and higher peak demand centres. In order to oil fields and new recent drilling activities, keep up with the country’s development, the potential for green energy growth and a secure and affordable supply of energy is a low-carbon economy is under pressure. one of the main priorities for the government. This can be partially offset when foreign Green energy growth can play a crucial income from commercial oil exploitation is role in this regard while simultaneously diverted to support green growth initiatives, reducing reliance on fossil fuel imports and for instance via sovereign wealth funds. contributing to climate change ambitions. Yet, the infrastructural investments needed Kenya’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas to initiate large-scale exploitation of (GHG) emissions with 30 percent by 2030 domestic fossil resources would reflect a compared to its business-as-usual scenario. long-term commitment towards high-carbon Considerable gains can be made in the industry, which is difficult to reconcile with energy sector, which is one of the country’s Kenya’s ambitious ‘green’ policies. largest sectoral GHG emitters.3
Low access to electricity Kenya’s energy sector Despite Kenya’s relatively low-carbon Primary energy supply in Kenya is currently electricity generation capacity, the electricity dominated by biomass sources, accounting sector accounts for only 9 percent of national for roughly two-thirds of total supply and energy consumption. Access to electricity used for cooking and heating by rural and has doubled in the past years, but is still urban middle- and low-income communities. low with just 55 percent of the population Given the relatively low prices of biomass (mostly urban-centred) having access to the energy, it has the potential to significantly grid electricity. The government has set the contribute to green energy growth in Kenya ambitious target of universal access by 2020, provided it can be produced sustainably which is an important step towards more — for instance, by using agricultural economic inclusion and could very well be by-products of the tea, coffee and flower aligned with green growth objectives. One industries. Besides biomass, domestic of the major obstacles to realise this goal is energy use is dominated by fossil fuels and the country’s weak and inefficient energy electricity. Imported fossil fuel products transmission and distribution infrastructure, complement the energy mix and made up resulting not only in irregular supply but roughly 18 percent of the total import bill also high energy prices. Kenya Power, the in 2013. Kenya’s power sector is dominated country’s semi-public energy utility company by renewable energy sources such as that has a monopoly on energy distribution geothermal and hydropower (Figure 1). and transmission, is frequently blamed for
2 Newell, P., Phillips, J., Pueyo, A., Kirumba, E., Ozor, 4 For example, solar energy has one of the N. Urama, K. 2014. ‘The political economy of low highest insulation rates in Kenya with carbon energy in Kenya.’ IDS Working Papers (445), 4-6 kilowatt hours per m2. Renewable Energy 2014, p. 13. Sources, Energy Regulatory Commission, 3 Kenya: Country GHG emissions, CAIT Climate Data http://www.erc.go.ke/index.php?option=com_ Explorer, 2013, http://cait.wri.org/profile/Kenya fsf&view=faq&catid=2&Itemid=649 (accessed 14 October, 2016). (accessed October 21, 2016).
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Figure 1 Installed generation capacity in Kenya by end 2015