SEforALL CEO, President of Kenya, country partners unite around key energy transition efforts 

Last week, a delegation from Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), led by Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy, held stakeholder consultations in Kenya around the development of Kenya’s Green Growth and Investment Plan and several other key initiatives that SEforALL is supporting in the country, driving progress on multiple Sustainable Development Goals.  

In the coming weeks, the Government of Kenya is expected to launch its Green Growth and Investment Plan, which will detail pathways for Kenya to develop its energy systems in line with its economic ambitions and a goal of net-zero carbon emissions. 

Importantly, the Green Growth and Investment Plan will highlight the investment needed for achieving net zero across various economic sectors in Kenya, making it the principal tool for the government to engage with the international community and local and regional private sector around investing in the country’s energy transition opportunities. 

SEforALL has been working with the government to develop this plan, and the recent visit to Nairobi involved soliciting feedback from local stakeholders. Among them was H.E. Dr. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, who met with Ogunbiyi and the SEforALL team to discuss the plan's findings and recommendations, ensuring it is backed from the highest levels of government. 

Ogunbiyi also met with Dr. Stephen Jackson, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kenya, and Zainab Bangura, the Director General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), to provide an update on the Green Growth and Investment Plan and thank the UN Office at Nairobi for hosting and providing support to SEforALL’s in-country team, which is carrying out this body of work. 

She also took part in a high-level dialogue organized by the UN Conference on Trade and Development  on how Kenya can unlock trade and financing opportunities, while leveraging the expertise and resources of Kenya’s vibrant private sector. The dialogue was also an opportunity to share insights on new technology and green manufacturing trends that the country needs to spur local production and attract foreign investment, which can be supported by the Africa Renewable Energy Manufacturing Initiative. 

Of course, many local companies in Kenya are already manufacturing and assembling clean energy technologies, and the SEforALL team had the opportunity to meet with some of these businesses during the visit and see their innovations in action, including those from BasiGo and ROAM, both of which are focused on electric mobility solutions. 

The visit to Kenya was also an opportunity to meet with our partner the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), who generously supports our work and are key collaborators in the upcoming Africa Climate Summit, to be held 4-6 September. Ogunbiyi met with GEAPP’s Vice President for Africa Joseph Nganga, who is also the CEO of the Africa Climate Summit, to discuss the latest plans for the event, which aims to address the increasing exposure to climate change and its associated costs, both globally and particularly in Africa.