Policy coherence for a just energy transition in Kenya's electricity sector

This policy brief examines policy coherence in Kenya's electricity sector, noting that while renewable energy investments offer high synergetic potential for economic and climate goals, conflicts exist between industrialization goals and emission reductions, as well as between renewable deployment and electricity affordability. It recommends removing institutional barriers and addressing market power dynamics to ensure a more equitable and coherent transition.

• Prioritizing renewable energy investments in Kenya offers the highest synergetic potential, supporting economic growth, energy access, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, poverty, and inequality.
• There are conflicts between different policy goals in Kenya: equity goals for job creation and industrialization conflict with greenhouse gas emission reductions in the transport and industry sectors, and the shift toward renewable electricity generation conflicts with electricity affordability, meaning the transition has not always produced equitable outcomes.
• To improve progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, poverty, inequality, and economic growth, Kenya needs to remove institutional barriers causing policy incoherence and use policy to mitigate power dynamics and interests in the electricity market that drive incoherence and affect electricity affordability.

APA

Muhoza, C., Osano, P., & Dzebo, A. (2026). Policy coherence for a just energy transition in Kenya's electricity sector. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/publications/policy-coherence-just-energy-transition-kenyas-electricity-sector/

Chicago

Muhoza, Cassilde, Philip Osano, and Adis Dzebo. Policy coherence for a just energy transition in Kenya's electricity sector. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2026. https://www.sei.org/publications/policy-coherence-just-energy-transition-kenyas-electricity-sector/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Muhoza |first1=Cassilde |last2=Osano |first2=Philip |last3=Dzebo |first3=Adis |title=Policy coherence for a just energy transition in Kenya's electricity sector |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=21 January 2026 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/policy-coherence-just-energy-transition-kenyas-electricity-sector/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{muhoza2026policy, author = {Muhoza, Cassilde and Osano, Philip and Dzebo, Adis}, title = {{Policy coherence for a just energy transition in Kenya's electricity sector}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/policy-coherence-just-energy-transition-kenyas-electricity-sector/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }