Executive Summary
Kajiado County faces increasing pressure from climate change, rapid urbanization and growing household energy demand. A large share of households still depends on charcoal and firewood for cooking, particularly in rural and peri urban areas, contributing to environmental degradation and household health risks.
Due to its proximity to Nairobi, Kajiado County has high potential to join Nairobi and Machakos, with the 3 neighboring counties creating a metropolitan bioenergy and clean cooking corridor, where Kajiado and Machakos serve as major suppliers of energy feedstock, as well as consumers of bioethanol, from the rapidly growing clean energy industry in Nairobi. With its arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) climatic conditions, the county has untapped potential for development and cultivation of drought tolerant energy crops, decentralized clean energy systems and alternative biomass technologies, thus creating multiple sources of income for its residents and therefore reducing over-reliance on livestock. In order to tap into the existing and potential opportunities in the bioenergy sector, the county Government needs to address the following policy aspects: fast-track implementation of the County Energy Plan 2025, harmonize agriculture and energy policies to prioritize energy crops, set and implement county-based incentives for private sector investment, strengthen producer and marketing organizations working in the bioenergy sector and, create public awareness for adoption of clean energy.
Context
Kajiado County in southern Kenya is characterized by a diverse agro‑pastoral economy, semi‑arid landscapes, and rapidly evolving urban and peri‑urban centres that lie along major transport corridors from Nairobi to Kenya’s international border with Tanzania. The county’s population includes rural agro‑pastoralist communities and growing urban populations in towns such as Ongata Rongai, Kitengela, Ngong and Kajiado Town. Urban growth intensifies demand for reliable energy services and modern fuels, while rural areas face challenges related to climate fragility, food security, and energy access. Agriculture, livestock, and trade, drive local livelihoods. Access to energy is uneven with urban households increasingly using modern energy (electricity, LPG, solar) while most rural households rely on traditional biomass, where 75 % of rural energy needs are met by firewood and charcoal. Electrification stands at about 40 % and extension efforts are ongoing, supported by last‑mile connectivity funding in the Kajiado County Energy Plan, with the aim of expanding grid access and reducing dependence on biomass fuels and attaining universal access by 2030. The county’s recent launch of the County Energy Plan marks a significant policy milestone, laying out strategies to promote sustainable and modern energy sources for both household and commercial needs.
Potential for Bioenergy in Kajiado County
Kajiado is an arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) county with significant potential for renewable energy from Solar due to abundant sunshine suitable for off‑grid and grid‑tied generation, and biomass from agricultural residues, solid waste, slaughterhouse waste, and invasive species as feedstock for biomass. The grazing areas of the county have invasive species of Prosopis juliflora while agricultural areas produce agricultural residues that could serve as bioenergy feedstock. Private firms handle refuse collection in urban centres but inadequate waste infrastructure contributes to accumulation of waste in public spaces and environmental contamination, particularly in Ongata Rongai. Organic waste comprises a large share of the waste stream, presenting an opportunity for waste‑to‑energy systems that could significantly reduce environmental impacts and provide clean energy feedstocks. Energy and drought-resistant crops that may be cultivated and that are suitable for energy generation in Kajiado County include, sweet sorghum, millets, rangeland grasses, bamboo and sunflower. Due to frequent droughts that lead to food insecurity and lack of fodder for livestock, sorghum and millet serve as drought-resistant food and fodder crops that sustain humans and livestock.
Policy and regulatory environment for the Bioenergy Sector
Kajiado county’s efforts in development of energy crops and bioenergy sector is guided by several county policies and regulations.
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Table 1: Kajiado County policies that regulation bioenergy sector and clean cooking systems
Kajiado launched its County Energy Plan in late 2024, in line with the Energy Act 2019, which mandates integrated energy planning at county level. The Plan outlines strategies to accelerate electrification toward national goals, promote economical and sustainable energy sources for households and businesses, and integrate energy planning with socio‑economic development priorities. The County Energy Plan sets strategic direction for clean energy, but it currently has limited explicit integration of bioenergy and energy crop value chains.
Recommendations
For the bioenergy sector to develop, Kajiado county needs to implement the following recommendations:
• Harmonize policies: Energy and agriculture policies need to be harmonized to prioritize energy crops.
• Implementation of the County Energy Plan: Establishing County regulations and Acts of the County Assembly is necessary for implementation of the County Energy Plan.
• Promote private‑public partnerships and establish incentives for private sector businesses: (e.g., tax breaks, seed funding) for bioenergy SMEs and rural aggregators. Example: Iko-briq for processing sweeting sorghum
• Enhance institutional capacity in Coordination in agriculture and energy planning and implementation.
• Strengthen Producer organization: Support farmer aggregation, cooperatives, and contract farming models for cassava, sorghum, and sugarcane.
• Public awareness on clean energy adoption, gender equity in energy access, and resource recovery benefits.
May 2026.