Kenya and the United Kingdom have entered a multimillion-shilling deal focusing on reducing Kenya’s environmental pollutants, targeting to lower the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions partly caused by the domestic use of fossil fuels to 35 per cent by 2035.  

Under the Kenya-UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (Pact), the project, which was launched in 2021, targets three crucial areas in the energy sector that require financial intervention to avert negative impact on climate. 

Additionally, the partners have set their eyes on creating integrated energy planning to ensure local community needs and insights are factored into national energy strategies.  

The project will also help Kenya to innovate off-grid solutions in areas which have no access to electricity, to empower young people and to support innovative, tech-driven energy solutions. 

Climate commitments 

British Deputy High Commissioner to Kenya Ed Barnett said the partnership allows both countries to demonstrate global leadership on tackling climate change by mobilising finance for adaptation, resilience and mitigation, and support for biodiversity conservation.  

“The UK-Pact programme is central to our efforts to deliver on our international climate finance commitments. It’s designed to support countries, including Kenya, to turn plans into action and build inclusive, low-carbon futures,” Barnett said. 

Citing a renewable energy project that the British has set up Makueni, the envoy said that the project has supported data-driven planning, energy models and digital toolkits to spur smart, low-energy decisions in Kenya. 

“That covers a third of its power needs, slashes electricity bills by around Sh7 million annually, and ensures uninterrupted power for critical health services.” 

According to Barnett, for the last four years of UK-Pact’s existence in Kenya, the project has helped to restore degraded landscapes and strengthen forest governance at the community level.

He said that more than 400 community forest association members have been trained in forest management, benefit sharing and institutional governance.  

Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira hailed the partnership noting that Kenya despite the ambitious plan to lower emissions to 35 per cent by 2035, only one in four meals is prepared using clean energy. 

Referring to integrated energy planning, one of the areas that UK-Pact projects targets, Wachira said that a total of 14 counties, which make up 74 per cent of Kenya’s land mass, are not connected to the national grid. 

“Our commitment to universal access to electricity by 2030 is significantly bolstered by the focus on clean energy entrepreneurship and the acceleration of urban and rural electrification through grid and innovative off-grid technologies,” the PS said. 

The launch of the climate change-targeted interventions deal comes days after President William Ruto and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a deal to extend their strategic partnership for another five years to 2030.