A Review of Energy Development and Utilisation in Kenya
A Review of Energy Development and Utilisation in Kenya |
||
 |
 |
|
| © 2025 by IJETT Journal | ||
| Volume-73 Issue-5 |
||
| Year of Publication : 2025 | ||
| Author : Alice Wambaire Waithaka, Patrick Nziu | ||
| DOI : 10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V73I5P132 | ||
How to Cite?
Alice Wambaire Waithaka, Patrick Nziu, "A Review of Energy Development and Utilisation in Kenya," International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology, vol. 73, no. 5, pp.395-411, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V73I5P132
Abstract
Energy is essential for development and comprises a significant portion of a country’s budget. The achievement of Vision 2030 development goals and the Big Four Agenda for Kenya depends, among other factors, on the ability to generate, supply and consume clean, affordable, sustainable and reliable energy. Kenya’s energy sector is characterized by a diversified energy mix consisting of biomass (68%), petroleum (22%), electricity 9 % and others (1%). This report reviews energy sources comprising humans and animals, fuel wood, hydropower petroleum, solar, wind, coal, nuclear and biomass in Kenya. It presents the current status of development and utilisation of the various energy sources, challenges hindering their utilisation, and possible mitigations and future trends of these energy resources in Kenya. Presently, energy consumption in Kenya relies on natural resources and largely on petroleum fuel, with a large share of challenges. Government plans and strategies for future energy supply are focused on the development of renewable sources, both for energy security and the attainment of sustainable development goals. Further research and development on renewable energy sources, hybrid technologies, energy-efficient systems, and energy management strategies is important to unlock the energy generation potential and meet the increasing energy demand.
Keywords
Energy efficient systems, Energy management, Hybrid technologies, Kenya, Renewable energy sources.
References
[1] Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Strategic Plan 2018-2022, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://energy.go.ke/wp-content/uploads 2021/09/21/
[2] Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Population and Housing Census Report, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.knbs.or.ke/reports/kenya-census-2019/
[3] Public Policy Repository, National Energy Policy 2018, Ministry of Energy, Republic of Kenya, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://repository.kippra.or.ke/items/db1dd59c-a26b-41ec-8c24-0f1b3f46cf6b/
[4] Mohammed Takase, Rogers Kipkoech, and Paul Kwame Essandoh, “A Comprehensive Review of Energy Scenario and Sustainable Energy in Kenya,” Fuel Communications, vol. 7, pp. 1-13, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[5] Suswatch-Kenya, Plan for 100% Renewable Energy Scenario in Kenya by 2050, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.suswatchkenya.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/100-Renewable-Energy-Plan-for-Kenya-by-2050-12-08-2020.pdf/ [6] Government of the Republic of Kenya, The Constitution of Kenya, 2010, 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.parliament.go.ke/sites/default/files/2017-05/The_Constitution_of_Kenya_2010.pdf/
[7] Government of Republic of Kenya, Energy Act, No. 12 of 2006, 2006. [Online]. Available: https://kenyalaw.org/kl/fileadmin/pdfdownloads/Acts/EnergyAct_No12of2006.pdf/
[8] Johnstone Mwanthi, Wind Sector Prospectus-Kenya, Ministry of Energy, Republic of Kenya, 2013. Available: https://www.academia.edu/13989342/Wind Sector Prospectus Kenya/
[9] R. Fuller, and Lu Aye, “Human and Animal Power-The Forgotten Renewables,” Renewable Energy, vol. 48, pp. 326-332, 2012.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[10] Harold H. Schobert, Energy and Society- An Introduction, 2nd ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 1-720, 2014.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[11] Canan Dagdeviren, Zhou Li, and Zhong Lin Wang, “Energy Harvesting from the Animal/Human Body for Self-Powered Electronics,” Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 85-10, 2017.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[12] J.K. Githiomi, and N. Oduor, “Strategies for Sustainable Wood fuel Production in Kenya,” International Journal of Applied Science and Technology, vol. 2, no. 10, pp. 21-25, 2012.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[13] WANLEYS Consultancy Services, Analysis of Demand and Supply of Wood Products in Kenya, Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, 2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.scribd.com/document/411278222/Analysis-of-Demand-and-Supply-of-Wood-Products-in-Kenya/
[14] Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Bioenergy Strategy 2020-2027, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.energy.go.ke/sites/default/files/KAWI/Other%20Downloads/Bioenergy-strategy-final-16112020sm.pdf/
[15] I. Yuksel, “Development of Hydropower: A Case Study in Developing Countries,” Energy Sources, Part B, Economics, Planning, and Policy, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 113-121, 2007.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[16] Dominic Samoita et al., “Barriers and Solutions for Increasing the P.A Integration of Solar Photovoltaic in Kenya’s Electricity Mix,” Energies, vol. 13, no. 20, pp. 1-17, 2020.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[17] P. Ravirajan, “Solar Energy for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries,” Ceylon Journal of Science, vol. 46, no. 2, 2017.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[18] Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Energy & Petroleum Statistics Report, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.epra.go.ke/sites/default/files/2025-02/Energy%20%20Petroleum%20Statistics%20Report-2021.pdf/
[19] Government of Kenya, Kenya Vision 2030, Development Blue Print, 2007. [Online]. Available: https://vision2030.go.ke/
[20] Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Energy & Petroleum Statistics Report, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.epra.go.ke/sites/default/files/2025-02/Energy%20Statistics%20Report%202020.pdf/
[21] Johnson N. Munyua, and Mary Ragui, “Drivers of Instability in Prices of Petroleum Products in Kenya-Review Paper,” Prime Journal of Business Administration and Management (BAM), vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 919-926, 2013.
[Google Scholar]
[22] D. Owiro et al., “Situational Analysis of Energy Industry, Policy and Strategy for Kenya,” Institute of Economic Affairs, Report, pp. 1-77, 2015.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[23] Government of the Republic of Kenya, Kenya Gazette Supplement Acts, 2019, Special Issue, Government Printer, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://kenyalaw.org/kl/fileadmin/pdfdownloads/Acts/2019/EnergyAct__No.1of2019.PDF/
[24] Jorge Tenório Fernando, and Sergio Ricardo Siani, “Renewable Energy Sources in Developing Countries: Challenges and Opportunities for a Sustainable Development Agenda,” RISUS - Journal on Innovation and Sustainability, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 64-71, 2016.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[25] International Energy Agency, Kenya Energy outlook, Report, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.iea.org/articles/kenya-energy-outlook/
[26] Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Roadmap to Biofuels in Kenya Opportunities and Obstacles, 2008. [Online]. Available: https://kenyaclimatedirectory.org/resources/673cbe5c61b97/
[27] Ministry of Energy, Kenya National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.energy.go.ke/sites/default/files/KAWI/Other%20Downloads/2020_06-Kenya-Strategy-EE_LOW-1-1.pdf/
[28] Ministry of Energy Kenya Ethanol Cooking Fuel Masterplan, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://southsouthnorth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ECF-Kenya-Masterplan-cover.pdf/
[29] Mohammed Takase et al., “Status of Biodiesel Research and Development in Kenya,” International Journal of Green Energy, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 499-508, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[30] P. Balakrishnan et al., “Current Status and Prospects of Renewable Energy-A Case Study,” Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, vol. 42, no. 21, pp. 2698-27036, 2019.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[31] Johnny Wood, “Kenya is Aiming to be Powered Entirely by Green Energy by 2020,” World Economic Forum, Report, 2018.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[32] Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Energy & Petroleum Statistics Report, for the Financial Year Ended 30th June 2022, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.epra.go.ke/annual-reports/