Just Energy Transition: Kenya Renewable Energy Policy Scan

The report examines Kenya's renewable energy policy landscape, noting that while the country has achieved high renewable energy generation (over 90%), there are significant gaps in local manufacturing capacity and social inclusivity. It highlights a dependency on imported technology for solar and wind components and identifies a disconnect between high-level policy ambitions—such as the 'Buy Kenya, Build Kenya' strategy—and the actual capabilities of local medium enterprises. The document also notes that women remain underrepresented in technical roles and that the energy sector is characterised by high levels of casualised labour, which undermines the goal of decent work.

• Kenya has achieved a high proportion of renewable energy in its power mix, with over 90% of electricity generation coming from renewable sources, primarily geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar.
• Despite ambitious targets, Kenya lacks domestic manufacturing capacity for critical renewable energy components, relying heavily on imports for solar PV panels, inverters, wind turbines, and lithium-ion batteries.
• Localisation initiatives, including the 'Buy Kenya, Build Kenya' strategy and the Kenya Industrial Transformation Programme, have had limited impact on high-tech renewable energy sectors due to underdeveloped manufacturing bases and a lack of R&D investment.
• Gender disparities persist in the energy sector; women are underrepresented in technical and leadership roles and often lack decision-making power over energy choices, despite the existence of the 2019 Gender Policy in Energy.
• The renewable energy sector is marked by significant labour precariousness, with a high prevalence of short-term contracts and casualisation, which limits workers' access to social protection and collective bargaining power.
• Policy instruments like the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) successfully attracted foreign investment but created 'lock-ins' where consumers pay outdated, higher tariffs despite falling global technology costs.

APA

Achieng, G. F., Onyango, J., Magale, E., & Atieno, E. (n.d.). Just Energy Transition: Kenya Renewable Energy Policy Scan. Institute for Economic Justice. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kenya-Renewable-Energy-Policy-Scan.pdf

Chicago

Achieng, Gillian Faith, Joel Onyango, Eric Magale, and Erica Atieno. Just Energy Transition: Kenya Renewable Energy Policy Scan. Institute for Economic Justice, n.d. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kenya-Renewable-Energy-Policy-Scan.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Achieng |first1=Gillian Faith |last2=Onyango |first2=Joel |last3=Magale |first3=Eric |last4=Atieno |first4=Erica |title=Just Energy Transition: Kenya Renewable Energy Policy Scan |publisher=Institute for Economic Justice |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kenya-Renewable-Energy-Policy-Scan.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{achiengndjust, author = {Achieng, Gillian Faith and Onyango, Joel and Magale, Eric and Atieno, Erica}, title = {{Just Energy Transition: Kenya Renewable Energy Policy Scan}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kenya-Renewable-Energy-Policy-Scan.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }