Mini-grid development in Kenya

This research paper analyzes two private sector-led mini-grid case studies in Kenya to understand how external risks—such as political interference and regulatory uncertainty—affect business models. It concludes that the viability of these models depends on the developer's ability to maintain a service focused on reliability, affordability, simplicity, and adaptability.

• The study identifies that value co-creation in mini-grid projects is affected by several external factors, specifically political interference, regulatory uncertainty, and the expectations and prior experiences of customers with other energy services.
• The viability of a mini-grid business model and a firm's ability to handle external pressures depend on maintaining a focus on a service that integrates core frugal elements: reliability, affordability, simplicity, and adaptability.
• Scaling mini-grid access in sub-Saharan African countries is hindered by critical challenges, primarily a lack of investment and uncertain regulatory environments.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2024). Mini-grid development in Kenya. https://www.sei.org/publications/mini-grid-development-in-kenya/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Mini-grid development in Kenya. 2024. https://www.sei.org/publications/mini-grid-development-in-kenya/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Mini-grid development in Kenya |date=7 November 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/mini-grid-development-in-kenya/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2024minigrid, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Mini-grid development in Kenya}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/mini-grid-development-in-kenya/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }