Kenya’s status as a renewable energy superpower has been cemented on the global stage. At the World Future of Energy Summit currently underway in Abu Dhabi, Nairobi has been officially appointed to spearhead the "Africa Green Transition," a continental initiative to unlock $500 billion in climate financing.

The selection is a nod to Kenya’s remarkable grid, which is now over 90% renewable, powered by the steam of Olkaria and the winds of Lake Turkana. Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, representing President Ruto, termed it "a vote of confidence in Kenyan innovation."

Why Kenya?

While South Africa struggles with coal and Nigeria with diesel generators, Kenya has cracked the code of clean baseload power. Delegates in Abu Dhabi were particularly interested in KenGen’s geothermal expansion strategy, which is now being exported to Djibouti and Ethiopia.

• The Carbon Credit Hub: Nairobi is also positioning itself as the carbon trading capital of Africa. The recent amendments to the Climate Change Act allow Kenya to monetize its forests and clean energy projects, selling credits to polluters in the Gulf and Europe.
• Green Hydrogen: The next frontier is Green Hydrogen. Kenya signed a preliminary deal with a UAE consortium to build a fertilizer plant in Naivasha powered entirely by geothermal energy, reducing reliance on imported Russian ammonia.

The Challenge of Cost

However, the accolade comes with a domestic caveat. Despite being "green," Kenya’s power is expensive for the consumer. Wandayi faced tough questions about why the abundance of renewables hasn't translated into lower bills for Wanjiku. The CS promised that as the initial capital costs of the plants are paid off, tariffs will drop—a promise Kenyans have heard before.

For now, Nairobi takes the lead. The world is looking to Kenya not just for safaris, but for the blueprint on how to power a developing nation without cooking the planet.