Kenya Programme

The UK and Kenya have committed to work together to accelerate action on climate change while creating green jobs, and UK PACT is key to delivering this partnership.

Kenya has demonstrated regional leadership in tackling climate change and encouraging climate-resilient growth. This shared vision has resulted in a history of successful collaboration through the Energy Transition Council, the Economic Partnership Agreement and the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership 2020-2025. The two countries will work together to demonstrate global leadership on climate and environmental issues by: deploying expertise on climate finance, resilience and adaptation, renewable energy, biodiversity, and science and technology; creating green jobs; and facilitating peer learning.

Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contribution has committed the country to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 32% by 2030.

Through its first round of funding, Kenya-UK PACT is supporting nine projects in two priority sectors: clean energy and nature-based solutions (forestry and land use). You can learn about these projects in the carousel below.

We are now launching a new call for proposals in the Nature-based Solutions sector, looking to fund transformative projects providing capacity-building support.

A market engagement event will be held on 9 December 2021. To register for the event please click here.

Upcoming Call for Proposals

UK PACT is launching a Call for Proposals for capacity-building projects strengthening the Nature-based Solutions sector in Kenya.

Portfolio of projects

The current Kenya-UK PACT portfolio consists of projects across two sectors:

Website infographic (1)

Project lead: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Improving measurement for payments to reduce emissions and strengthen sinks (IMPRESS)

“FAO is pleased to drive innovation towards high-integrity forest data through the IMPRESS project, and looks forward to working closely with Kenya and UK PACT in demonstrating the approach." – Julian Fox – Team Leader, National Forest Monitoring, FAO.

The FAO and partners will support Kenya Forest Service to improve its National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) so that it delivers high-quality estimates of greenhouse gas emissions as well as real-time intelligence on forest threats. These data will enable Kenya to report on its actions to halt and reverse forest loss as part of its ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution to tackling climate change. Robust reporting will help Kenya to attract public and private climate finance to conserve and restore its forests. The project will also focus on how women and vulnerable groups can better participate in forest monitoring in order to benefit from forest management and restoration.

Project lead: University of Birmingham

Community Cooling Hub

“The project will utilise the Kitui Mango Farmers multi-stakeholder forum in spearheading stakeholder engagement at the county level and promotion of local ownership of the community cooling hub.” - Prof. Toby Peters, University of Birmingham

This project will demonstrate how community cooling hubs can affordably meet a portfolio of rural community cooling needs, including food, health, and human comfort, whilst reducing emissions. The project will also pilot a public-private-community partnership model. These sustainable cold chain services will generate economic wealth, better health and nutrition and a resilient future for the population in Kenya.

Project lead: Ricardo AEA

Kenya Counties Programme for Decentralised Energy Systems (CODES) - County Energy Plan Toolkit

“Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contributions identify the energy sector as a priority with high potential to cut down emissions. It is clear that county governments will benefit from the support of this project.” - Jonathan Hedgecock, Head of Electricity Infrastructure Sector, Ricardo AEA

The project aims to build the capacity of Baringo, Migori and Tana River county governments to improve electricity planning and support Kenya’s goal of 100% access to electricity by 2022. It will equip counties with tools to develop a bottom-up, decentralised approach to electricity planning and promote new investment in low-carbon electricity generation. This will include mini-grid and off-grid solutions, taking advantage of the natural resources within each county, such as biomass, waste, solar, hydro and wind.

Project lead: The University of Edinburgh

RESILIENT Kenya

“Our ultimate goal is to achieve greater affordability through multi‐vector mini-grids, which will combine several energy vectors (e.g., electricity, thermal energy, transportation, and also water/food supply) in one energy supply system, fully exploring locally available sustainable energy resources (e.g. solar, biomass, wind, hydro, etc.) and specifics of energy demands of rural Kenyan communities.” - Dr. Sasa Djokic, Reader, The University of Edinburgh

The project aims to give Kenyan rural communities access to sustainable and affordable energy supplies from mini-grids that can use multiple local renewable energy resources and are capable of scaling up with growing demand. The project will co-design these local energy models with selected rural communities.

Project lead: IIED

Enabling green development and recovery in Kitui County through energy planning

“Our work will help embed an innovative energy delivery model and nexus approach in Kitui county to tailor solutions that use green energy to improve lives and livelihoods in rural areas.” - Ben Garside, Head of Energy, IIED

This project is a lead example in Kenya for designing integrated solutions to address development challenges across green energy and nexus sectors such as agriculture and livestock. Building on previous work with Kitui County Government to develop an inclusive and cross-sectoral County Energy Plan, IIED and partners will develop inclusive, cross-sectoral energy projects based on communities’ needs and priorities and identify pathways for rapid implementation and scale.

Project lead: KPMG

Design of the national off-grid solar electrification programme

“We are excited to lead this project bringing government and private sector together to contribute towards the Kenya National Electrification Strategy to achieve universal electrification.This is critical to achieving Kenya’s Vision 2030, Big 4 Agenda and SDG 7 target.” - Smita Sanghrajka, Partner, KPMG East Africa

This project will support the Kenyan government’s strategy to achieve 2.18 million electricity connections to households, public facilities and small businesses through standalone solar systems. Working closely with Kenya’s Ministry of Energy, it will develop an off-grid solar electrification programme to detail the methodology, activities and budgets required to achieve these targets and enable strategies to mobilise resources and finance. This is a critical step to support Kenya’s ambition to provide universal access to electricity by December 2022.

Project lead: Strathmore University

Energy planning tools and data-driven policy-making in Narok County

"This groundbreaking project will see Narok County develop its first energy plan since the implementation of devolution in 2013. It will also provide the county with the knowledge and ability to develop and update future energy plans and upskill energy planning experts." - Prof Izael Da Silva, DVC, Research and Innovation Strathmore University

This project will help the county government of Narok to develop a data-driven energy plan to increase access to clean energy. It will encourage adoption of renewable energy technologies such as improved cook stoves and sustainable use of biomass, thus contributing to reduced carbon emissions. It will achieve this by addressing two main challenges that hinder the shift to clean energy: lack of access to quality and reliable data and technical expertise at the county level.

Project lead: World Agroforestry (ICRAF)

Promoting nature-based solutions and national monitoring for land restoration

“This will promote the opportunity for green job creation especially for youth and women, in the environmental, agricultural, and water sectors. In addition to this, upscaling efforts involving various stakeholders including the private sector and media will stimulate more green job opportunities within the county and Kenya.” - Catherine, Muthuri, Project Manager, World Agroforestry (ICRAF)

This project aims to build capacity to enable the scaling of evidence based, locally relevant, nature-based solutions, leading to sustainable and gender transformative restoration outcomes on climate change, biodiversity and livelihoods. Women play a key role in farming and land restoration, but often lack the decision-making power and resources they need. This project will co-design locally relevant restoration practices, such as growing trees and shrubs alongside crop and livestock farming systems. At the national level, it will enable a national task force to monitor, report and verify (MRV) restoration outcomes in various ecological zones, from coastal forests to semi-arid areas.

Project lead: WWF-UK

Greening Kaptagat

“Our work in the country is predicated on our deep knowledge and relationships that have been built with the government and the communities in or near where we work. Our current strategy (2020-2030) is guided by the following vision: A healthy natural environment supporting people and sustainable development in Kenya.” - Mxolisi Sibanda, Senior Programme Advisor, WWF-UK

This project will build on the Kaptagat integrated landscape restoration plan by training communities in agroforestry and climate-smart agricultural practices that see trees or shrubs grown alongside crops or livestock. This aims to provide alternatives to illegal logging and unsustainable subsistence agriculture. The project will also conduct a value chain analysis for agroforestry products to support sustainable and scaleable business models.

Kenya-UK PACT