Dissonance by design: How policy harmonization stifles affordable energy programs in Kenya

Abstract

The Kenya energy industry is a paradox. The sector has over 90 percent electricity generation from renewable sources but is grappling with affordability and reliability concerns that appear to be unsolvable. This paper explores the deep policy harmonization crises that continue to perpetuate this disconnection by suggesting that institutional incoherence and dissonance in mandates undercut affordable energy programs. Based on a conceptual research design, the paper evaluates the Energy Act 2019, the regulations that followed it and the institutional mandates of the energy sector of Kenya through the critical policy and conceptual analysis frameworks. The findings imply that the policy frameworks intentionally subordinate affordability under the basis of the vague demarcation and conflicting implementation mechanisms. We understand that there are conceptual tensions inherent in institutional need of agencies like KPLC and EPRA. These tensions cannot be successfully resolved only by administrative coordination. These conceptual gaps create undercutting points of implementation opportunities that elevate the renewable energy production activities at the expense of affordability to consumers. The paper has concluded that harmonization must be oriented on a fundamental conceptual reconciliation in Kenya energy governance architecture. We propose policy design, conceptual alignments, enforceable prices of affordability to tariff structure and institutional architectural reforms to resolve mandate conflicts. The study is important to the energy policy discussion by demonstrating how conceptual clarity enables energy policy to be coherent. The findings of our research offer paradigm-based concepts to be employed to achieve equitable transitioning to energy in Kenya and other countries with abundant renewable energy resources.