SERC

After an extended period of virtual meetings, discussions, and initial implementation, the Promoting Opportunities for Workforce Excellence in Renewable Energy Vocational Education and Training (POWER-VET) project team convened at Strathmore University for a two-day in-person workshop from 6th to 7th May 2026.

This workshop provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen human connection and foster face-to-face engagement, enabling deeper, more focused discussions on the project’s various work packages. The meeting brings together eight partner institutions, namely,  Strathmore University through Strathmore Energy Research Centre, Eastlands College of Technology, Machakos University, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (TVET CDACC), Citiscope Training Institute, from Kenya and Olympiaki Ekpaideutiki (OTC), University of West Attica from Greece and Readlab Brussels BV from Belgium.

The POWER-VET project, launched in January 2025 as a three-year initiative, aims to strengthen vocational education and training (VET) in Kenya by equipping trainers with essential skills in renewable energy and energy efficiency in the four main areas. Solar energy, wind energy, energy storage and micro grids enabled through digitization, Internet of Things (IOT), and other digital tools.

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of VET institutions, fostering a skilled workforce capable of supporting the country’s green and digital transition. The project employs a multi-faceted approach to professional development in the VET sector. It emphasizes flexibility, hands-on learning, industry collaboration, and continuous capacity building to ensure relevance to labor market needs.

The methodology includes case study development based on identified needs in the Kenyan TVET institutions and was validated by industry players. After validation, Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), Open Educational Resources (OERs) will be developed to bridge the existing gaps in the TVET sector in Kenya. This will be followed by capacity building prioritizing mentoring, twinning for international collaboration, and practical Training of Trainers (ToTs) workshops, ensuring a comprehensive and adaptable training framework for VET educators.

POWER-VET’s structure fosters personal development, practical application of knowledge, and international cooperation among VET professionals. It aligns educational efforts with market demands, bridging the skills gap in renewable energy technologies, digital skills, and sustainable practices. By equipping trainers with advanced teaching methodologies and technical competencies, POWER-VET contributes to the long-term sustainability of Kenya’s VET sector and supports its transition towards a greener economy.

The workshop outcomes included alignment in the implementation strategy, discussion and clarification on the various work packages to ensure smooth delivery of projects over the next thirty months.

The team had an opportunity to tour the Strathmore University Engineering and solar labs, charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and the solar photovoltaic installation in the University.

The POWER VET project is led by Prof. Izael da Silva, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Strathmore University.

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

In a clean, pressed Ecobora-branded dress, Purity Simuyu, fondly called “Prof. Purity” by pupils, shares her journey of restoration, one that has transformed not only her family and career, but also the Prosperity Self Help Group.

Located just 10 kilometers from the city centre, Prosperity Self Help Group sits in the heart of Kangemi, a densely populated peri-urban settlement. What began as a modest initiative has grown into a thriving school serving over 400 students with boarding facilities.

Today, 10 years after its inception, the school stands as a symbol of progress and dignity, powered by a newly installed 8 kW inverter and a 25 kWh solar photovoltaic system, delivering an 8.1 kW peak output. This clean energy solution powers an efficient cooking boiler for all school meals and provides reliable lighting throughout the school. The result, a safer, healthier environment for all and longer learning hours for the students.

In a quiet moment with “Prof. Purity,” I had the privilege of hearing her story of resilience, dignity, and transformation.

Born in Bungoma, Western Kenya, Purity was forced to drop out of school in Form Three following the death of both her parents. With limited options, she chose marriage, and in 2020 she moved to Nairobi with her husband and their firstborn child, Barack Kiplagat, in search of a better life.

Her journey led her to Kangemi, where the family settled in the same compound as the Prosperity Self Help Group. Determined to secure a future for her child, she approached the school’s founder, Patrick Murimi, who generously offered her child a scholarship. In 2021, after the birth of her second child, Bright Angel, Purity sought employment at the school. She was taken in and assigned responsibilities that included cleaning and cooking for the students.

At the time, the school relied entirely on firewood for cooking. This meant long, grueling days that began with sourcing firewood as early as 5 a.m. and stretched on until all tasks were complete. Her work left her clothes stained with soot, while constant exposure to smoke meant inhaling harmful fumes throughout the day. The toll on her health and that of her fellow cooks was significant. Beyond the physical strain, the visible soot on her clothing often led to stigma, with others looking down on her because of the nature of her work.

With a beaming smile, Purity recalls how the Ecobora boiler transformed her daily routine. After learning how to use it, her workday shifted. By the time we sat down for the interview at around 10 a.m., the team had already boiled hot water for the boarders to shower, prepared packed meals for fifty students on a school trip, served breakfast, boiled porridge for tea break, and cooked rice and ugali for lunch. Preparations for the evening meal were already underway, and through it all, her dress remained impeccably clean, plus she didn’t need to drink milk to counter the fumes inhaled.

Cooking with Ecobora is efficient. It uses less water and has a timer that prevents the different foods she prepares from burning. It has also made the kitchen environment cleaner. She further notes that it is cheaper to cook with electricity than to purchase firewood. Yes, the Kenya Power advert advocating cooking with electricity rather than other sources is factual.

“Prof.” is looking forward to receiving a second boiler under the AFRICA Sustainable Community Energy Networks (SCENe) project. She notes that this will further improve the lives of all at Prosperity Self Help Group school and their working conditions. It will also allow her workday to shift from starting at 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., giving her more time in the morning for herself and making the entire kitchen soot-free.

Her experience has allowed her to teach fellow institutional cooks on how to use an electric boiler and has given her the opportunity to travel as far as Uganda to train and mentor others. She has also trained in prisons, schools within Kenya and at the Ecobora head office.

She still vividly recalls her first training assignment, when one of the trainees arrived at her workplace and, upon seeing her, asked whether she was truly the trainer. The question stemmed from her appearance at the time, with visible stains on her dress. In that moment, she felt a quiet wave of emotion mixed with pride as she went on to prove, through her knowledge and confidence, that she is indeed the trainer. To date, her students still contact her for guidance when they are stuck.

As we ended the discussion, overcome with emotion, “Prof” still desires one thing. To complete her high school education and receive further training in clean cooking, as she has firsthand experience of the benefits to both her health and the environment. Purity at first glance might seem like only a cook, but as we wrapped up the session, I realized that this wonderful mother of two children is a champion and a leader in her quiet way to ensure that Kenya and Africa as a whole attain their Sustainable Development Goals – SDG 7, affordable clean energy, and SDG 4, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education. A true inspiration.

Africa SCENE Milestones at Prosperity Self Help Group

The AFRICA SCENe project, implemented in March 2025, installed an 8 kW inverter and a 25 kWh solar photovoltaic system, delivering a peak output of 8.1 kW and valued at approximately KES 1.2 million. The immediate benefit for the Prosperity Self Help Group is the ability to power the electric cooking boilers reliably and sustainably.

The system will also enable the school to expand its services by incorporating a computer lab and other community-focused activities. As a smart energy system, it operates on an energy timetable, allowing the school to plan activities efficiently and even explore additional uses, such as communal cooking, which could serve as an extra source of income.

The installation was installed and is currently maintained by Women in Sustainable Energy and Entrepreneurship (WISEe). Members of the school team are also shadowing the engineers and researchers to better understand the system’s operational limits, energy scheduling, and basic troubleshooting, including maintenance tasks such as cleaning the solar panels. In addition, the project will train local technicians to ensure long-term technical support for the school.

Awarded on 31 January 2025 under UKRI 1321 Africa SCENe, the project brings together leading institutions, including the University of Nottingham (UK), Strathmore University (implemented through the Strathmore Energy Research Centre, Kenya), SmartKlub (UK), Edu-Cater Global (UK/Kenya), Map Kibera, WISEe and Prompt BI.

The project is co-led by Prof. Lucelia Rodrigues, Head of the Department of Architecture & Built Environment at the University of Nottingham, and Prof. Izael da Silva, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Strathmore University.

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

The Climate-Compatible Growth (CCG) Annual Workshop held in February 2026 brought government institutions, academia, development partners, and practitioners to reflect on progress, exchange knowledge, and strengthen collaboration in advancing climate-compatible growth in Kenya.

The annual workshop is a retrospective event that looks at:

~CCG Kenya Research work (The academic angle)

~Policies, Legislation and Frameworks that have been influenced by the research work

~Special interest groups unique initiatives that build the stakeholders involvement in National and Sub-national (County) initiatives

~Strategic Partnerships that have been built with National and County governments, sector players like SNV, WRI, GIZ, WEEE Centre, GAMOS-MECS, CCAK, EMAK, Practical Action, AccessCoalition and others,

~Celebrating the achievements and strategising proceeding working arrangements

During the opening session, Prof. Izael Da Silva, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Strathmore University, underscored Kenya’s unique demographic advantage. Beyond enjoying year-round sunshine, Kenya, like much of Africa, has a rapidly growing population with an average age of just 20, while populations in parts of the Global North and Asia are in decline.

He noted that this youthful demographic gives Kenya an opportunity to leapfrog in building green skills for the continent’s fast-expanding renewable energy sector. As capacity grows, he urged development partners that Africa’s development must remain African-led: there is nothing for Africa without Africa.

CCG has been working with Kenya since 2021 as its first partner country. As she reflected on the five-year journey, Dr. Lara Allen, CEO of the Centre for Global Equality, emphasized that CCG has demonstrated how energy can drive sustainable change through rigorous, locally grounded research and interventions rooted in Kenyan realities.

Some of the notable contributions the program has made among others over the years include its contribution towards climate action in Kenya and beyond, as captured below.

The Kenya CCG Network has contributed to the development of Key policy documents that contribute to climate action:

~National Energy and Petroleum Policy 2026

~National Electric Mobility Policy 2026

~Integrated National Energy Planning Regulations 2025

~Kenya National eCooking Strategy 2024-2030

~Kenya Cooking Transition Strategy 2024-2030

~Least Cost Power Development Plan 2024-2043

~The Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) 2023–2027

The two-day workshop was a mix of presentations on the integrated energy planning landscape, integrating open source tools into the Least Cost Power Development Plan (LCPDP), county energy planning, the climate entrepreneurship landscape integrating Gender, Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion in integrated energy planning, review of the Political Economy Modelling Toolkit and exploring avenues for incorporating CCG tools in government, academia and industry exploring setting up an MSc Flatpack and Executive courses.

Researchers from the Climate Compatible Growth Network shared cutting-edge insights and evidence-based approaches, reinforcing how research, policy, and practice can work together to accelerate Climate Compatible Growth and long-term sustainability.

✅ Mourice Kausya – The dynamics of informal electricity demand with systems thinking.

✅ Alois Mbutura – Creating Minimum Data Guidelines to merge county reporting into the Integrated National Energy Plan (INEP)

✅ Emma Richardson – The role of natural gas in Kenya’s future power system: A modelling under uncertainty understanding.

✅ Leonhard Hofbauer – County-national energy system modelling to support energy planning in line with the Integrated National Energy Plan (INEP).

✅ Manuel Salas – Geospatial Tools for Energy Access – Improving and adding dimensions of analyses to geospatial modelling.

The network also contains seven Special Interest Groups known as (SIGS): National Energy Planning, County Energy Planning, Low Emission Transport, Policy Pathways, Clean Cooking, Climate Entrepreneurship and Climate Land Energy Water. The SIGS discussed systemic barriers and solutions. Some of the solutions that cut across include strengthening existing policy frameworks, addressing data access challenges, a one-stop shop for licensing, and including all stakeholders from the beginning of each process to ensure buy-in.

The two-day event kicked off with a presentation of work in the climate entrepreneurship space where Dr. Churchill Saoke presented on the UK PACT Funded work on Energy Makers Academy. The presentation shared by Dr. Saoke set the stage for discussions and group work that looked beyond energy planning, which looked at themes on productive use of renewable energy in transport, agriculture, education, clean cooking and industrialisation. Dr. Kuthea Nguti presented another angle where there was intersection of inclusive energy planning, entrepreneurship and training in institutions.

As the workshop concluded, discussions reaffirmed that meaningful progress is built at the intersection of innovation, inclusion, and evidence-led action. Robina Abuya of British High Commission – Climate Change Portfolio Manager, expressed the pleasure to work with CCG global and CCG Kenya teams as they had achieved so while working with government, academia and industry.

She expressed confidence in the way the university supported the CCG program and assured support in all the in-country initiatives. Dr. Faith Wandera-Odongo, Director of Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy, reiterated the ministry’s appreciation of CCG as a valued partner over the past five years and expressed its commitment to continued co-creation of research, training and collaboration in advancing climate compatible growth in Kenya.

Article written by Anne Njoroge, Communications Officer, Strathmore Energy Research Centre.

30 young professionals and aspiring renewable energy practitioners took part in the Technical and Vocational School, focused on Module 2 – “DRE Site Selection & Engineering” of the Micro-Grid Academy. The training was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 4 to 10 February 2026, and was sustained by Enel Foundation, promoted by RES4Africa Foundation in collaboration with Strathmore University and St. Kizito Vocational Training Institute, and supported by the Mattei Plan for Africa.

The programme was structured in two phases. From 4 to 6 February, technical training sessions were hosted at St. Kizito VTI, where participants engaged in applied learning activities focused on site selection, engineering design criteria and technical decision-making for decentralized renewable energy systems. On 9 and 10 February, activities moved to Strathmore University, where students took part in academic and institutional sessions.

A highlight of the programme was an institutional exchange bringing together senior Italian and Kenyan representatives, including Anna Maria Bernini, Minister of University and Research of Italy; Julius Migosi Agambo , Kenyan Minister of Education; Vincent Ogutu, Vice-Chancellor of Strathmore University; Izael Da Silvia, Deputy Vice Chancellor – Research and Innovation at Strathmore University; Counselor Lorenzo Ortona, Deputy Coordinator of the Mattei Plan Task Force – Office of the Prime Minister of Italy; Fabio Minniti, Head of Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS); Isaac Kiva, Secretary of the Renewable Energy Department, Kenyan Ministry of Energy; Giulia Genuardi, Managing Director of the Enel Foundation; Roberto Vigotti, Secretary General of the RES4Africa Foundation; and Patrick Njoroge, Headmaster of St Kizito VTI.

Supported by the Mattei Plan for Africa, the initiative went beyond technical training by strengthening cooperation between Italy and African countries, promoting local capacity building and supporting the creation of decent jobs to foster a just, inclusive and sustainable energy future.

Through a combination of technical learning, teamwork and institutional dialogue, the programme strengthened participants’ skills and contributed to building a new generation of professionals equipped to support the energy transition across East Africa.

This article was first published on the RES4Africa Foundation Website.

For millions of Africans, the question of energy is not merely about power lines, solar panels, or cooking fuels but about dignity, opportunity, and justice. A recent study published in Environmental Research: Energy on IOPScience, titled ‘An Empirical Assessment of Community Energy Injustice in Makueni, Kenya,’ challenges prevailing approaches to energy access and calls for a fundamental rethink of energy planning in Africa, not as a purely technical endeavour, but as a moral and social imperative.

The study led by Sarah Odera, Research and Consultancy Manager at the Strathmore Energy Research Center, in collaboration with Dr. Jiska De Groot, Dr. Debbie Sparks, Dr. Dimitrios Mentis and Prof. Izael Da Silva, sheds light on this reality through the lived experiences of communities in Makueni County, Kenya.

Moving beyond infrastructure maps and quantitative data, the study seeks to understand what energy injustice means for the people of Makueni County.

Using an empirical, people-centred approach, the researchers draw on 15 focus group discussions involving 177 participants across Makueni, comprising women, men, youth, persons with disabilities, farmers, small business owners, and service providers. These qualitative insights are complemented by household survey data analysed using Python, allowing the study to connect human stories with rigorous quantitative evidence.

The findings are striking. Energy injustices in Makueni do not occur in isolation. They are produced and reproduced through everyday interactions within communities and between communities, government, utilities, and the private sector. In other words, energy injustice is a systemic and structural issue.

One of the most profound injustices emerges in the kitchen. For low-income households, firewood remains the dominant cooking fuel, not because it is free, but because alternatives are unaffordable. Ironically, the poorest residents often pay the highest price, purchasing firewood in small quantities while wealthier households access “free” wood from private land. Further, the consumption of this fuel burdened women and children with respiratory illnesses and time poverty.

County-level environmental conservation policies, though well-intentioned, have further deepened tensions. Restrictions on firewood collection have forced vulnerable households into impossible choices, such as going hungry or breaking the law. This caused a growing sense that environmental protection had been prioritized over human survival.

Electricity access reveals a similarly complex and uneven reality. Although solar home systems have helped extend access to power, many households experience them as unreliable, limited in capacity, and short-lived. The prevalence of poor-quality products, coupled with weak enforcement of standards and inadequate after-sales support, means that families often invest in systems that fail far earlier than expected, undermining both trust and the promise of sustainable energy access.

Grid electricity, frequently portrayed as the great equaliser, introduces its own set of inequities. Subsidised connections favour households located close to existing infrastructure, while those living farther away are effectively excluded by prohibitive connection costs. Even among those who are connected, persistent challenges, such as unreliable supply, slow responses from the utility during outages, and inability to afford continuous consumption, erode trust, disrupt daily life, and limit the productive potential of electricity access.

Perhaps the most sobering finding is the erosion of trust. Communities feel unheard by the government, unsupported by utilities, and exploited by parts of the private sector. Yet the study resists simplistic blame. It reveals how income poverty, limited public financing, and institutional constraints trap all stakeholders in a cycle that perpetuates injustice.

Energy injustice, the authors argue, is not simply about who has access to electricity or clean cooking fuels, but about how decisions are made, whose voices are heard, and who bears the burdens when systems fail.

The paper goes beyond diagnosing the problem to chart a constructive way forward. It underscores the importance of genuine communication and equal partnerships between communities and all energy stakeholders, recognising that lasting solutions must be co-created rather than imposed. It also calls for the deliberate integration of productive-use energy into electrification programmes, enabling households and small enterprises to translate access to energy into improved incomes and livelihoods.

To make this possible, the study emphasises the need for increased and more innovative financing models, including consumer finance mechanisms that support both grid-connected and off-grid users. Finally, it emphasizes the crucial role of stronger enforcement of quality standards and accountability mechanisms in ensuring that energy technologies are reliable, durable, and genuinely serve the needs of the communities they are intended to benefit.

Indeed, energy justice is not achieved by wires and watts alone, but by placing people, equity, and trust at the centre of energy systems.

Article written by Stephen Wakhu.