SUSTAINABLE COOLING FOR ALL IN KENYA

The report assesses Kenya's cooling landscape, highlighting that 9.6 million people are at high risk due to lack of cooling access. It identifies critical needs in agriculture, where 40% of food is lost annually, and healthcare, where electricity gaps hinder vaccine cold chains. To mitigate these issues and align with the Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP) 2023-2050, the document recommends eight policy interventions, including the adoption of passive cooling, stricter Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPs), and the phase-out of HFC refrigerants. It also proposes financial strategies such as green bonds and blended finance to overcome high upfront costs for sustainable cooling technologies.

• Approximately 9.6 million people in Kenya are at high risk due to a lack of access to cooling, comprising 5.1 million rural poor without electricity and 4.5 million urban poor in thermally poor housing.
• Kenya suffers significant agricultural losses, with approximately 40% of food lost annually due to inadequate storage and supply chain inefficiencies.
• The market value for agriculture-related cold chain infrastructure in Kenya is projected to reach USD 2.1 billion by 2030.
• Healthcare facilities in Kenya face electricity access challenges; while residential access grew from 52% to 70% between 2016 and 2019, access at government-operated health facilities only increased by 1% (from 69% to 70%) in the same period.
• Urban Heat Island Effects (UHIE) in Kenyan cities can make urban areas 2-5°C warmer than surrounding areas, and in some cases up to 15°C, with Mombasa experiencing significant UHIE and high land surface temperatures.
• The majority of air conditioners currently on the Kenyan market are low-efficiency models, with 90% falling into this category, which increases energy demand and operational costs.
• Under a business-as-usual scenario, total carbon emissions from the refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) sector are projected to reach 4.75 Mt CO2eq in 2030 and 7.87 Mt CO2eq by 2050.
• The report recommends that Kenya align its air-conditioning MEPS with U4E model regulations by 2025 to catalyze a regional transition within the East African Community (EAC).
• To attract private investment and overcome high upfront costs, the report suggests using green bonds, blended finance, revolving funds, and loan guarantees.

APA

Lenartowicz, T., Hartley, B., Chege, E. W., Kamau, G. W., Amenya, N. K., Ojwang, C. A., & Dean, B. (n.d.). SUSTAINABLE COOLING FOR ALL IN KENYA. Sustainable Energy for All. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2024-11/SEforALL-Kenya-Cooling-Report-Final-webversion.pdf

Chicago

Lenartowicz, Tilly, Ben Hartley, Elizabeth Wangeci Chege, Grace Wambui Kamau, Nyamwange Kingslay Amenya, Concepta Ateieno Ojwang, and Brian Dean. SUSTAINABLE COOLING FOR ALL IN KENYA. Sustainable Energy for All, n.d. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2024-11/SEforALL-Kenya-Cooling-Report-Final-webversion.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lenartowicz |first1=Tilly |last2=Hartley |first2=Ben |last3=Chege |first3=Elizabeth Wangeci |last4=Kamau |first4=Grace Wambui |last5=Amenya |first5=Nyamwange Kingslay |last6=Ojwang |first6=Concepta Ateieno |last7=Dean |first7=Brian |title=SUSTAINABLE COOLING FOR ALL IN KENYA |publisher=Sustainable Energy for All |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2024-11/SEforALL-Kenya-Cooling-Report-Final-webversion.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lenartowiczndsustainable, author = {Lenartowicz, Tilly and Hartley, Ben and Chege, Elizabeth Wangeci and Kamau, Grace Wambui and Amenya, Nyamwange Kingslay and Ojwang, Concepta Ateieno and Dean, Brian}, title = {{SUSTAINABLE COOLING FOR ALL IN KENYA}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2024-11/SEforALL-Kenya-Cooling-Report-Final-webversion.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }