Kenya hosts East African Forum on Sustainable Energy

Wednesday 2nd December. The Ministry of Energy & Petroleum, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (SEforALL Africa Hub) and with the support of Hivos and other development partners opened the East African SEforALL Forum today in Nairobi.

“The lack of access to clean energy remains a big challenge to securing people’s wellbeing, improving their livelihoods, and preserving the environment. Kenya’s Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) strategy documents, which identify opportunities for investment within the sector, will help the country become self-sufficient in the supply of and access to clean energy solutions,” said Eng. Joseph Njoroge, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.

“Today’s SEforALL East African Regional Forum comes after we completed the review of our SEforALL documents. Implementing the strategies outlined will require our collaborative efforts to support the realisation of Kenya’s goals of securing sustainable energy for all by 2030. We acknowledge the immense support we have received from various government agencies, development partners, as well as the private sector and civil society, and we are confident that they will integrate the guidance provided in their respective programs going forward.”

The SEforALL Initiative, a brain child of the UN Secretary General- Ban Ki-Moon, is aimed at ensuring universal access to modern energy services; doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and doubling contribution of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030. Kenya opted into the SEforALL Initiative in 2012, and has now completed its strategy documents - the Action Agenda and Investment Prospectus - which will see the SEforALL goals cascaded to the national and county levels. These documents identify high impact opportunities for investment that will ensure the design of projects and programmes within the energy sector contribute towards SEforALL objectives while meeting the goals of various stakeholders.

“The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goal 7 on Energy at the New York summit end of September modelled on the SEforALL objectives was a major milestone, and the SEforALL Action Agendas that are under development in more than 25 African countries constitute a national implementation response to this global goal,” said Dr. Daniel-Alexander Schroth, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Africa Hub Coordinator. 

The Forum is bringing together government representatives, the private sector and civil society actors from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi to identify areas of potential collaboration and joint action as they implement their respective SEforALL national action plans.

Discussion among participants will focus on collaboration at the national and sub-national levels to meet SEforALL objectives, including involvement of the private sector. Other session will include: perspectives and options for support by development partners, as well as mobilization of resources and investor networks.

The forum was also used as a platform to exchange learning and ideas, and identify nexus issues in the energy sector including; energy and agriculture, water, health, education and gender. 

About The Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Initiative:

SEforALL is a United Nations led initiative launched by Mr. Ban Ki-Moon in September 2011. The initiative has three global objectives to be achieved by 2030 namely: Universal access to modern energy services; Doubling renewable energy in the energy mix; and Doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency. The SEforALL Africa Hub coordinates and facilitates the implementation of the SEforALL initiative in Africa, ensuring African ownership of its processes, inclusiveness and a comprehensive approach to the Initiative’s implementation. In Kenya, the Ministry of Energy & Petroleum was chosen as the focal point to lead this Initiative.