The government promotes the use of clean energy to power industries and homes

The government is pursuing a policy that aims at increased development and use of clean energy to provide power solution to homes and industries and to reduce health risks, create livelihoods and empower women and youth. 

The Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Mr. Opiyo Wandayi said, clean energy is not only an environmental imperative but also a foundation for good public health, economic opportunity, social equity, and long-term development for present and future generations.

“At the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, we recognize that the energy transition goes beyond infrastructure and megawatts” said Mr. wandayi

Speaking in Kitui County during occasion to mark the World Clean Energy Day, Mr. Wandayi pointed out that, there was need for the global community to mobilise action towards a just, inclusive, and sustainable energy transition that benefits both people and planet.

The Cabinet Secretary noted that, Kenya’s installed electricity generation capacity stands at 3,243 megawatts, against a peak demand of 2,444.4 megawatts. He said, 80 percent of installed capacity and 93 percent of consumed electricity comes from renewable sources. He said the government continues to integrate wind and solar with geothermal and hydropower for reliability and stability.

He noted that electricity access now stands at approximately 75 percent. He however, expressed concern over the low access to clean cooking noting that only 34.4 percent of households have access to clean cooking solutions. He said that an estimated 26,000 Kenyans die annually from household air pollution. 

The Cabinet Secretary said, in collaboration with partners such as the European Union, GIZ, UNDP, and UK PACT,various counties are developing County Energy Plans that serve as strategies for expanding access to clean and sustainable energy while strengthening partnerships across government, the private sector, civil society, and communities.

He said the geothermal power remains the anchor resource, accounting for 26 percent of installed capacity, followed by hydropower at 24 percent, wind at 12 percent, and solar at 12.4 percent. Kenya, he said, is also interconnected with the power grids of Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, encouraging regional power trade that reduces emissions, enhances energy security, and supports economic growth and innovation.

The CS said clean cooking remains a national priority adding that, to address human health, environmental, and socio-economic impacts associated with use of traditional source of energy such as charcoal and firewood,  the government is promoting a diversified mix of solutions that include Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), electric cooking, bioethanol, biogas, briquettes and pellets, and improved biomass cook stoves to ensure affordability, accessibility, and sustainability.

The Cabinet Secretary said the goal of government in the energy sector is to ensure that clean energy is available, affordable, and accessible to every Kenyan household to drive growth, advancing equity, and strengthening climate resilience.