Conflict sensitivity and renewable energy: a case study from Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp

This case study by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the implementation of renewable energy projects in Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp, specifically analyzing the degree to which these initiatives incorporate conflict sensitivity to prevent tensions between refugees and host communities.

• There is a significant lack of conflict sensitivity in the design and evaluation of renewable energy projects in the Kakuma Refugee Camp. The report finds that the potential for these projects to trigger or worsen conflict is rarely discussed during planning or in subsequent assessments, and there is a lack of data to determine if green energy projects have actually increased friction within the camp or with the host community.
• Renewable energy projects in the camp have provided tangible benefits, including improved healthcare through the solarization of IRC clinics, enhanced education via solar lanterns that allow students to study at night, and the creation of livelihood opportunities, such as 24 jobs created by the Bboxx initiative.
• Market-based energy initiatives face specific challenges in the camp environment, including resistance from local leaders who questioned refugees' ability to pay and competition with other projects that provide similar solar systems as free handouts.
• Energy poverty remains widespread in Kakuma, with unregulated transmission and significant disparities in access. While the UNHCR distributes 10kg bundles of firewood, these often last only one week instead of the intended six to eight, forcing refugees to barter food rations for fuel or forage outside the camp, which increases the risk of sexual violence for women and girls and causes conflict with the host community.
• Many renewable energy interventions in the camp are limited by their nature as short-term pilot schemes, leading to a lack of continuity. Some institutional systems stalled after three years due to funding shortages, and others returned to diesel power.
• The authors recommend that future projects adopt programmatic and methodological approaches to conflict sensitivity. This includes explicitly incorporating conflict analysis into planning and execution, and engaging a wide variety of local stakeholders—including both refugees and neighboring residents—to mitigate tensions over energy access.

APA

Nyakerario, R., & Mirumachi, N. (2022). Conflict sensitivity and renewable energy: a case study from Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/conflict-sensitivity-and-renewable-energy.pdf

Chicago

Nyakerario, Ruth, and Naho Mirumachi. Conflict sensitivity and renewable energy: a case study from Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2022. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/conflict-sensitivity-and-renewable-energy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nyakerario |first1=Ruth |last2=Mirumachi |first2=Naho |title=Conflict sensitivity and renewable energy: a case study from Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=December 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/conflict-sensitivity-and-renewable-energy.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nyakerario2022conflict, author = {Nyakerario, Ruth and Mirumachi, Naho}, title = {{Conflict sensitivity and renewable energy: a case study from Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/conflict-sensitivity-and-renewable-energy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }