Adoption of Green Energy Practices in Informal Settlements for Sustainable Development in Kenya

Abstract

Worldwide, unplanned slums and informal settlements present systemic problems in the areas of; housing, health, energy and education. Providing clean and efficient energy for households in informal settlements especially in African cities remains a huge challenge. This challenge is compounded by a heavy reliance on fossil fuels such as charcoal and kerosene which often result in unintended health consequences as a result of prolonged exposure to air pollution. There exists many green technologies and systems with the goal to reduce costs and reduce hazardous effect on the human health. Despite the changes in green energy technologies, their adoption remains elusive. This paper examines the adoption of green energy practices in three informal settlements namely: Munyaka, Kamukunji and Huruma in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The specific objectives are; examine green practices being adopted and determine factors influencing the adoption of green energy practices. Based on mixed methods approach, data was obtained using data collection instruments that included questionnaires, interview schedules, researcher’s observation, document reviews and focus group discussions (FGD). Stratified simple random and purposive sampling techniques were adopted to select the samples. The findings of the study established that informal settlement dwellers have largely adopted green energy practices for lighting although the adoption of solar energy is still low.

Further, IS dwellers have not adopted green energy practices in cooking since majority still use charcoal and firewood often considered as a non-green practice. In addition, adoption of green practices is hindered by various factors which include; high initial cost, inaccessibility to green technologies, lack of personnel and lack of policy framework. The study recommends that effective integration of green energy practices should involve all stakeholders in adopting different energy solutions that already exist in the market. A policy framework towards greening for home use is seen as a panacea to foster adoption of green energy.