NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 24 – The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), has committed to increasing their uptake of renewable energy sources including solar, in a remarkable shift that will see more producers depend less on grid electricity.
KAM sees the energy shift taking place in tandem with a higher number of companies carrying out regular energy audits, which have proven to help inject energy efficiency for commercial electricity consumers.
Addressing the Clean Energy CEOs forum taking place at the Kenya Manufacturing Summit and Expo, KAM Chairman Mucai Kunyiha said clean energy strategies helped inject efficiency in the production of goods and services and impacted energy governance for public and private enterprise.
Energy Ministry Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Monica Juma said the Clean Energy CEO Forum played a crucial role in raising awareness on clean energy techniques, shifting public transport towards clean technologies also known as green mobility technologies, clean cooking techniques and clean building technologies to limit the impact of excessive carbon production on the environment.
The CS said with the growth in demand for energy, the government was offering incentives to manufacturers and working towards lowering the risks associated with investing in the clean energy sector. The incentives promote local foreign investment as opposed to foreign investment in the sector.
Energy sector regulator, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), Director-General, Daniel Kiptoo, echoed her position, stating that the sector was determined to encourage access to clean energy technologies. He said the benefits of using clean energy technologies, including the energy audits, had been proven.
“We have designed a curriculum that will enhance the number of energy audits and the sharing of information that would help to improve the quality of the energy audits. These are crucial in helping the energy services companies to work in improving the efficiency of the manufacturing sector,” said Kiptoo.
