Can county-level energy planning give a stronger voice to end-users? Insights from Migori County in Kenya

The document examines how Kenya's devolution of energy planning to the county level can empower citizens, specifically focusing on Migori County. It highlights a significant gap between the desire for participation and current practice, while detailing the heavy reliance of rural households on biomass and kerosene. The brief argues that for county energy master plans to be effective, they must move beyond elite-controlled processes and leverage existing community groups, such as women's and youth organizations, to ensure the needs of marginalized populations are met.

• The devolution of energy planning to the county level in Kenya creates an opportunity for end-users to influence decisions, provided there are concerted efforts to ensure participation is "wide, deep and meaningful".
• In Migori County, energy consumption varies significantly between urban and rural areas. Rural households rely heavily on kerosene (97%), firewood (96%), dry cells (72%), and charcoal (67%), while urban households have higher access to electricity (65%), candles (56%), and LPG (39%).
• Cooking practices in Migori County are dominated by traditional methods; 77.4% of sampled households use an open three-stone fire, and while many own improved cookstoves like the Kenya Ceramic Jiko, only 17.4% use them as their primary stove.
• There is a high level of willingness among citizens to engage in energy planning, with 79% of surveyed households expressing interest, a figure that rises to 84% among rural households.
• Despite the willingness to participate, current engagement is low; only 23% of households had previously been involved in energy forums, and many community leaders reported that their opinions were not sought during planning.
• Existing community structures, such as women's and youth groups, offer cost-effective avenues for engagement. Women can focus on education and resource mobilization, while youth can provide manpower for project implementation and research.
• County energy administrators face significant operational hurdles, including understaffing, a lack of information, and poor cooperation among stakeholders, particularly within the unit supporting devolution.

APA

Johnson, O., & Nyambane, A. (2016). Can county-level energy planning give a stronger voice to end-users? Insights from Migori County in Kenya. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2016-Kenya-county-energy-planning.pdf

Chicago

Johnson, Oliver, and Anne Nyambane. Can county-level energy planning give a stronger voice to end-users? Insights from Migori County in Kenya. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2016. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2016-Kenya-county-energy-planning.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Johnson |first1=Oliver |last2=Nyambane |first2=Anne |title=Can county-level energy planning give a stronger voice to end-users? Insights from Migori County in Kenya |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2016-Kenya-county-energy-planning.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{johnson2016can, author = {Johnson, Oliver and Nyambane, Anne}, title = {{Can county-level energy planning give a stronger voice to end-users? Insights from Migori County in Kenya}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2016-Kenya-county-energy-planning.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }