Policy coherence for a just energy transition in Kenya’s electricity sector
Muhoza, Cassilde / Philip Osano / Adis DzeboExterne Publikationen (2026)
Stockholm: Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51414/sei2026.001
Open access
This brief is based on an SEI report (Muhoza et al., 2025) that explored in depth the many ways in which policy coherence impacts the Kenyan government’s efforts to achieve a just energy transition in Kenya. Based on an analysis of the policy landscape and interactions between key policy objectives, as well as a set of interviews, we examined the drivers and outcomes of policy coherence. The growth of Kenya’s energy sector is expected to help the country achieve middle- income status by 2030, while transitioning to a renewable energy system that provides electricity in a just and equitable fashion. Policymakers will have to balance decisions on energy, economic growth, climate mitigation, and poverty and inequality reduction. Scaling up renewable energy will be key to achieving Kenya’s climate mitigation targets. However, the promotion of coal for electricity generation in the Energy Policy 2018 and Energy Act 2019 contradicts the government’s ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet its nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement. It also adversely impacts human health due to polluting emissions.