The political economy of low carbon energy in Kenya

The document analyzes the drivers and barriers to low-carbon energy in Kenya, noting that while energy security and climate vulnerability favor renewables, recent oil and gas discoveries may hinder this transition.

• Kenya faces significant energy challenges, including low access to modern energy services, vulnerability to oil price volatility and currency exchange rates, and climate-driven impacts on electricity production, specifically droughts affecting hydro capacity.
• There is a strategic alignment where both the Kenyan government and donors view renewable energy technologies as superior to fossil fuels for achieving national energy security goals, such as reliable and cheap electricity generation, particularly given the region's high energy costs and a fragile grid.
• The potential transition to low-carbon energy is threatened by recent discoveries of oil and gas within Kenya, which may reduce the momentum for embracing renewable energy.
• Solar power, specifically off-grid solar technologies and Solar Home Systems, is identified as a successful market that offers a pathway for climate-compatible development to benefit poorer populations by improving access to modern energy services.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2014). The political economy of low carbon energy in Kenya. https://cdkn.org/resource/political-economy-of-low-carbon-energy-kenya

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. The political economy of low carbon energy in Kenya. 2014. https://cdkn.org/resource/political-economy-of-low-carbon-energy-kenya.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=The political economy of low carbon energy in Kenya |date=15 July 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/political-economy-of-low-carbon-energy-kenya |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2014political, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{The political economy of low carbon energy in Kenya}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = jul, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/political-economy-of-low-carbon-energy-kenya}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }