Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui has called for stronger quality standards in Kenya’s energy sector, saying the country must translate its growing renewable electricity capacity into lower production costs, job creation and increased industrial competitiveness.
Kinyanjui said affordable and reliable energy was critical to manufacturing, warning that gains in electricity generation would have limited economic impact if businesses continued to face high operating costs.
“The real test is whether energy progress translates into lower production costs, stronger industries, more investment, jobs and better livelihoods,” he said.
Speaking during World Standards Day celebrations in Nairobi on Wednesday, Kinyanjui said standards were necessary to ensure energy technologies were safe, efficient and reliable while helping Kenyan businesses compete in domestic and international markets.
The celebrations were held under the theme, “Shared Vision for a Better World: Spotlight on SDG 7-Affordable and Clean Energy.”
Kenya has established a strong renewable electricity base, with geothermal accounting for 39.51 per cent of electricity generated in the 2024/2025 financial year, hydropower contributing 24.21 per cent and wind 13.18 per cent, according to figures from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority cited by the CS.
However, he said the country needed to focus on how its energy mix supported productivity, investment and household welfare.
The government’s National Energy Compact 2025–2030 targets universal access to electricity and clean cooking by 2030, 5,952 megawatts of renewable electricity-generation capacity and a transition towards a fully clean national grid.
Kinyanjui said achieving these targets would require investment, innovation, skills and quality infrastructure, including standards covering electrical installations, solar technologies, battery storage, electric mobility and energy-efficient industrial equipment.
“Standards provide this assurance. They set clear requirements for quality, safety, efficiency and compatibility,” he said.
The CS said dependable energy could improve productivity in agriculture and manufacturing by supporting irrigation, cold storage, food processing and preservation while helping businesses reduce operating costs.
He added that small and medium-sized enterprises needed practical support to access compliant technologies, testing and certification services.
Kinyanjui said reliable infrastructure and predictable regulatory systems were also important in attracting investors to manufacturing, special economic zones, industrial parks and county aggregation and industrial parks.
He said Kenya must also participate more actively in international standard-setting, urging manufacturers, universities, researchers and industry associations to work with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and international bodies.
KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari said standards helped protect consumers and businesses from unsafe and substandard energy products.
“A solar panel that fails prematurely, a battery that does not deliver the expected performance, or an electrical appliance that presents a safety risk can turn an investment in progress into a source of loss and disappointment,” she said.
Ngari described standards as “the bridge between the promise of technology and the benefits people actually experience”.
She said KEBS would continue collaborating with regulators, manufacturers, importers and research institutions to ensure standards responded to emerging technologies and Kenya’s economic needs.
Ngari cited cooperation between KEBS and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority on fuel quality as an example of how institutions could combine their mandates to protect consumers, promote fair trade and advance environmental objectives.
Both officials called for closer cooperation between government, industry and technical institutions to ensure the transition to clean energy delivers practical benefits for businesses and households.
