An empirical assessment of community energy injustice in Makueni County, Kenya

This paper used an empirical approach to understand how the actions and involvement of stakeholders such as government, the private sector, and civil society contribute to the energy injustice experienced by the community. It contributes to scholarship on energy justice in Africa and is informed by a case study of energy injustice in Makueni County, Kenya. The paper demonstrates an empirical approach to appreciating root causes of energy injustice at the local level. Secondary data in the form of transcripts from fifteen focus group discussions are used in this study. Deductive and inductive thematic analyses are employed on these data. Findings establish that the energy injustices in Makueni County occur in interactions within the community, and between community and other stakeholders such as government and the private sector. Constraints to energy justice include income poverty within communities and limited financial resources in governments, the utility and the private sector. Tensions exhibited between environmental conservation and firewood access which cause conflict in the community and puts them at odds with the sub-national government. Finally, there is limited trust between the community and other stakeholders like government, the private sector and the utility. Mechanisms that can enhance energy justice within the community include communication and equal partnership between community and all stakeholders, inclusion of productive use in electrification programs and increased financing of electrification programs with consumer finance targeting both grid and off-grid users.