Kenya to gain from Sh12.4b power drive
By Noel.Wandera, June 22, 2023
Kenya is among countries from the East and Central Africa region lined up to benefit from a $88.9 million (Sh12.4 billion) clean energy facility under the Power Africa initiative.
The new round of funding was announced by United States International Aid Agency (USAID) administrator Samantha Power (pictured) at the ongoing three-day Africa Energy Forum (AEF) in Nairobi, which was opened by President William Ruto on Tuesday.
Power said the five-year programme will support 10 million on-and off-grid connections for households and businesses in the region, providing 50 million people access to new or improved electricity generated from cleaner fuel sources.
Energy investments
“Evidence from the past 10 years has proven beyond reasonable doubt that clean energy investments can deliver meaningful returns. We will use that money to leverage billions more in public private investments,” Power said.
The new programme aims to mobilise $4.7 billion (Sh659 billion) in new public and private investments to support 1,227 megawatts of clean energy capacity and develop 1,500 kilometers of new transmission lines, a critical infrastructure that will enable delivery of electricity to homes and businesses. The initiative was launched in 2013 and has so far enabled 172 million people access reliable, off-grid energy through solar and green farms across sub-Saharan Africa, solutions that are facilitating delivery of services in education, health and water.
Power urged government leaders to continuously improve the energy sector environment by “taking down regulatory obstacles and barriers to investments that are still slowing down new energy projects in nations.”
Meanwhile at the same forum, the Strathmore University and Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) signed a memorandum of understanding to upskill Kenya’s human resource with capabilities in green energy and green hydrogen production.