Kenya has been selected as the next beneficiary of unlocked climate finance, with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Kingdom providing financial boost for the country’s electricity infrastructure.

The Transmission Network Improvement Project in Kenya has been chosen as a beneficiary project under the Room to Run Sovereign transaction (R2RS), with up to $59 million (Sh9.4 billion) of the $116 million (Sh18.5 billion) total project cost allocated for the climate mitigation component of the loan.

This funding will play a crucial role in addressing limitations in transmission network capacity, reliability, and quality of electricity supply in the country.

Kevin Kariuki, AfDB Vice-President for Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth, expressed pride in the partnership with the UK and the significance of the development, stating, “This transaction is one of several projects constituting its lending program through which it fulfills the call by stakeholders at COP27 for MDBs to innovate and scale up climate finance through the Multilateral Development Banks.”

UK High Commissioner to Kenya Neil Wigan emphasized the importance of reliable power for economic growth, stating, “We’re working together with the AfDB and Kenya to deliver what Kenyans want and need: reliable power for reliable economic growth – all with green energy that protects the prospects of future generations. The UK and Kenya are going far and going together.”

This funding represents a significant milestone in Kenya’s sustainable development and the fight against climate change, with the potential to have a positive impact on the country’s electricity infrastructure and contribute to its sustainable development goals.