The Makueni County Energy Plan (CEP) development culminated with a two-day workshop dubbed ‘Recapping the Methodology’ held in Wote, Makueni County. The workshop, held late June, brought together the Makueni Technical Working Group led by the Makueni Chief Officer-Energy, Eng. Naomi Nthambi and a team of six experts from various departments.

To kickstart the recap, Beryl Ajwang, World Resources Institute (WRI) Africa, refreshed the technical working group on the methodologies used for data collection during the development of the Makueni CEP. The team collected quantitative data from 634 households, 394 businesses, 365 educational institutions, and 55 healthcare facilities. Further, quantitative data was gathered through focus group discussions with women, men, youth, and people with disabilities. Kobo Toolbox was used for data collection, while STRATA was used for analysis.

Energy efficiency and conservation were a pivotal component of developing the CEP. Walk-through audits, conducted by a team of energy audit experts led by Hilarious Kifalu, assessed county public buildings, including the Office of the Governor, which was found to be energy efficient. Audits extended to households, institutions, health centers, small and medium enterprises, and cottage industries within the county. The criteria used to develop the sample size included but were not limited to geographical representation, population density, areas with existing renewable energy initiatives such as industries in the Mbooni sub-county, available budget, and ease of access. Kifalu encouraged Makueni to develop building code standards for the county with emphasis on green buildings that are energy efficient.

Various facilitators recapped sections on energy access, and how the ‘Energy Access Explorer’ (EAE) can be used to identify high-priority areas for energy access interventions. The team also had a chance to review an investment prospectus to fundraise for future projects and received an update on the ongoing solarization project of Wote Level 5 Hospital.

Ag. Director Research and Consultancy Services, Strathmore Energy Research Centre, Patrick Mwanzia reiterated the crucial role of data in the CEP, encompassing information about current and potential energy consumers, energy access levels, prevalent challenges, and energy needs in Makueni County.  He was confident that data allows the county to identify trends and patterns, collate evidence-based insights, and make strategic and informed decisions for energy efficiency.

The two-day workshop concluded with Eng. Naomi Nthambi expressing gratitude to the entire team for their efforts in developing the county energy plan. She highlighted successes witnessed by the county such as improved collaboration with other departments as they plan their energy needs for 2024/2025. She urged her team to be more proactive and harness low-hanging fruits that can be quick wins even as they consider larger projects highlighted in the investment prospectus.

The development of the Makueni County Energy Plan was a collaboration between Makueni County, Strathmore Energy Research Centre, and World Resources Institute and funded by UKPACT in Kenya through the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office.

Article written by: Anne Njeri, Communications Officer, Strathmore Energy Research Centre