Despite the many efforts made in the management of wildlife in the country, the focus is hardly on the vulnerable species of birds such as raptors, bustards, flamingoes, and cranes. Kenya has made major strides in expanding electricity access, with renewable energy central to its development and climate agenda. Solar, wind, and transmission infrastructure are expanding rapidly, reflecting global and national commitments to decarbonization. However, this progress brings unintended ecological risks. 

“Power lines and wind farms cause bird electrocutions, collisions, and habitat fragmentation. This threatens vulnerable bird species. These impacts are well-documented globally but remain largely absent from Kenya’s wildlife and energy policy frameworks,” a study conducted between 2021 and 2024 to assess electrocution and collision hotspots in Kenya reveals.

The study, conducted by Strathmore University’s Centre for Biodiversity Information Development, highlights the urgency of integrating bird-safe infrastructure into Kenya’s policy landscape. It reveals that infrastructure-related bird deaths are an emerging but overlooked challenge. The omission leaves   biodiversity unprotected and exposes the energy sector to avoidable financial losses from bird-related outages. 

“Current strategies emphasise human–wildlife conflict, poaching, and habitat degradation, but overlook the risks from infrastructure growth. With Kenya’s energy masterplan envisioning continued network expansion and regional interconnections, this policy gap undermines conservation gains and international obligations,” observe Dr David Chiawo and Dr Peggy Ngila, researchers at the Centre for Biodiversity Information and Development, at Strathmore University.

According to the study, overhead power lines affect bird life when birds in flight strike power lines, when birds perch on wires and complete electrical circuits, and when power lines degrade and fragment habitats by cutting across open landscapes and vital bird areas. 

In Africa, electrocution and collision incidents have been documented in Sudan, South Africa and Kenya. Bustards, flamingoes, raptors, and cranes are among the most affected species. These fatal incidents not only endanger vulnerable bird populations, but also disrupt electricity supply, and cause costly outages for providers and distributors, the study observes.

Policy options 

Due to the absence of electrocution and collision risks in Kenya’s biodiversity and energy frameworks, the study recommends immediate reforms to integrate wildlife safeguards into the Wildlife Act, National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan (NBSAP), and energy licensing processes. 

“Power utilities and renewable energy developers should be legally required to adopt bird-safe technologies such as line insulation, strategic pole design, and line marking. Embedding these standards in the Energy Act and EMCA will de-risk investments by reducing outages, demonstrate climate-responsiveness, and strengthen Kenya’s leadership in sustainable infrastructure development,” the researchers observe.

The study further suggests that the country should revise its wildlife and biodiversity strategies to explicitly address electrocution and collision risks from energy infrastructure. This will align national policy with the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals and the Convention on Biological Diversity, while fulfilling constitutional obligations under Article 69 on environmental stewardship.

“All new and retrofitted energy infrastructure – including transmission lines, distribution poles, and wind farms – must comply with internationally recognised bird-safe standards. Embedding this into the Energy Act (2019) and EMCA (1999) will reduce avian mortality, prevent costly outages, and demonstrate Kenya’s leadership in delivering Strategic Development Goals on affordable and clean energy, and life on land in an integrated way,” Dr Chiawo and Dr Ngila recommend.

They further recommend a joint task force bringing together the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya Eletriciticy Transmission Company , Kenya Power and Lighting Company, National Environment Management Authority, academia and conservation to harmonize national policies with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 vision of sustainable infrastructure. This will ensure that renewable energy expansion is consistent with biodiversity conservation targets under the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The study concludes that mainstreaming bird-safe infrastructure into energy and environmental policies will ensure that Kenya’s renewable energy future is both climate-smart and biodiversity-safe; a win for nature, communities, and sustainable development.