CUTS International
Abstract: Access to adequate,sustainable,and affordable energy is essential for promoting socio-economic development. However,in Kenya access to sustainable energy is still a challenge,especially in rural areas where availability of renewable energy (RE) services is limited. The objective of this study was to determine the barriers that prevent access to RE in Kenya,with a focus on counties of Bomet and Homa-Bay. Data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions (FSDs) from the two counties and analyzed through quantitative and qualitative methods. The study established that households heavily depend on non-renewable energy sources for lighting and cooking in the two counties. Paraffin and firewood were the main energy sources for lighting and cooking respectively. Access to renewable energy was constrained by several interlinked social,economic,cultural,institutional,and policy related barriers. These included low awareness on RE services; lack of a clear policy framework and resources to develop the RE sub-sector; limited availability or supply of some RE sources such as briquettes; and poverty which negatively affected ability and willingness to pay for available RE services. Establishment of appropriate RE policy and legal framework in the two counties was constrained by limited technical capacity. Policy formulation was not prioritized at the inception of the counties besides bureaucracy and inefficiencies in policymaking and legislative institutions such as county assemblies. The study recommends development and implementation of effective RE policies to enhance access. This should be accompanied by an effective RE services provision model that will ensure access by majority of the residents of the two counties.