The Kenyan energy sector being a crucial sector for the nation’s economic growth and development, the Kenyan government has prioritised the development of energy resources and enhanced electricity access in the country, as outlined in the Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) 2023–2027.
The 2018 National Energy Policy of Kenya emphasises the need for an affordable, competitive, sustainable, and reliable energy supply to support national development goals.
The ACCESS Coalition, Kenya Climate Change Working Group (KCCWG), and SEAF-K, being active key stakeholders in promoting sustainable energy solutions and addressing climate change issues in Kenya, organized a workshop aimed at bringing together CSOs to review and discuss the 2018 Energy Policy, identify challenges and opportunities, and develop actionable strategies to enhance energy access and sustainability in Kenya.
The workshop was held at Four Points by Sheraton on August 9, 2024, and it was well attended by various stakeholders playing an important role in the sector.
The keynote address for the event was given by Engineer Nzioka from the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.
He talked about the review of the Energy Act 2019, a process that began in May 2023 with the nomination of the technical committee (TC) members drawn from the State Department for Energy, KENGEN, GDC, KETRACO, KPLC, and REREC.
He outlined that the main outputs of the working retreat included developing ToRs for the committee, preparing a work-plan and budget, and formulating the thematic working groups.
The main facilitator for the event was Mr. Paul Mbithi, a well-experienced expert in the energy space who also serves as the director of Energy for Life Consulting Ltd. He took the audience through the steps and considerations made during the review process of the Energy Act 2019.
However, he focused his presentation more on what actions are needed to generate a new policy and the mission and vision that should be adopted during the formulation of such a policy.
He presented what the new policy (the National Energy Policy 2024–2033) intends to achieve, such as universal access to energy by 2037, energy security and independence, and social equity and inclusivity.
He further engaged the stakeholders to think more about the challenges relating to the thematic working areas and the solutions needed to address those challenges, as well as the strategies that should be implemented.
The stakeholders identified some of the core challenges, including the need to have a consolidated data management system and the need to map out energy needs per household.
The stakeholders further proposed some solutions and strategies to address those challenges, such as developing a central national data point for consolidating data, a national coordination lab to coordinate research, and establishing a research and development institution for each sector as per the policy’s thematic areas.
