Briefing Paper

Solar PV for Enhancing Electricity Access in Kenya: What Policies are Required?

“Modern energy services are crucial to human well-being and to a country’s economic development; and yet globally over 1.3 billion people are without access to electricity and 2.6 billion people are
without clean cooking facilities. More than 95 per cent of these people are either in Sub-Saharan African or developing Asia and 84 per cent are in rural areas. Sub-Saharan Africa is rich in energy resources but very poor in
energy supply, making the region have highest access deficit in electrification rate, only just managing to stay abreast of population growth. Making reliable and affordable energy widely available is
therefore critical to the development of the region that accounts for 13 per cent of the world’s population but only 4 per cent of its energy demand.”