Introduction

Renewable energy has become a crucial pillar of Kenya's power sector, contributing over 80% of the country's electricity from sources like geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar power in 2021. With an awareness of the untapped potential, the Kenyan government aims to increase renewable electricity generation by 50% between 2021 and 2030 as part of its Least Cost Power Development Plan.

However, achieving rapid growth in renewable energy faces challenges that necessitate careful consideration of policy, economic, and political factors.

Project Objectives

The objectives of the project are:

1. To analyse the institutional, political, economic, and sociotechnical trends and dynamics that promote (enablers) and jeopardize (barriers) the implementation of renewable electricity policies in Kenya.  
2. To provide a comprehensive assessment of the successes and failures of Kenya’s renewable electricity deployment policies to further deepen our understanding of the political economy of Kenya’s renewable energy subsector.  
3. To generate practical evidence through case studies of renewable electricity auctioning, building evidence for policy recommendations for Kenya’s renewable auction policy. 
4. To propose key recommendations for effective development and implementation of renewable energy policies for maximum benefits with a focus on renewable electricity auctioning. 
5. Engage stakeholders, through a transdisciplinary approach, co-develop future scenarios for transition to sustainable energy, and disseminate findings through participatory workshops and stakeholder networks.

Partners

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

Funded by UK aid.