Energy Polices for enhanced capabilities and collaboration in Kenya’s solar and wind subsectors

The Kenyan government has shown support for renewable energy projects through formulation of policies and strategies to encourage uptake of renewable energy as an option in the country’s energy mix. Analysis of the major policy instruments point towards government commitment and efforts to promote renewables at different scales – off-grid, mini-grids and on-grid. These include the Sessional Paper No. 4 of 2014, the Energy Act of 2006 & draft bill, 2015 and the draft energy and petroleum policy.

These efforts may be insufficient if not supported by requisite capabilities at individual and institutional level. Further analysis reveals that major policies pay little or no attention to renewables. In addition, they do not translate to deliberate efforts to align the pro-investment policy changes to the country’s strategic plans that allow for capabilities development, particularly at the local level. Some of the key policy documents recognise the lack of skills and capabilities to be limitations to renewable energy development but generally the role of requisite capability building is not adequately addressed.

Find out more in the IREK Policy Brief, Issue 2.