The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) and experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are meeting in Nairobi to strengthen Kenya’s long-term plans for a reliable, affordable and sustainable energy future.
The regional meeting, which runs through Friday, is examining approaches to Climate, Land-use, Energy and Water Systems (CLEWS) as Kenya seeks to develop an integrated approach to future energy planning.
The week-long discussions come as Kenya faces growing electricity demand and seeks to ensure that future energy investments support economic growth while strengthening energy security.
As the country advances its long-term ambition to diversify its predominantly renewable energy mix with reliable, low-carbon technologies, including nuclear power, integrated planning has become increasingly important.
During the opening ceremony, Alex K. Wachira, CBS, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Energy, said the Integrated National Energy Plan (INEP) requires policymakers to look beyond immediate energy needs and consider how different energy choices will perform over the long term.
“The Integrated National Energy Plan (INEP) requires decisions to look beyond immediate needs and consider how different energy choices will perform over the long term. This meeting therefore looks at how energy demand, climate change, water availability, land use, technology and cost interact so that the decisions we make today deliver a secure and sustainable energy system for tomorrow,” he said.
Dr. (Eng.) Joseph Oketch, EPRA Acting Director General, said Kenya had built a strong foundation in renewable energy, particularly geothermal, hydro, wind and solar power, but needed to continue expanding its energy mix.
“Kenya has built a strong foundation in renewable energy, particularly geothermal, hydro, wind and solar power, and there is a need to expand this energy mix to include emerging energy sources, while working with multiple sectors,” he said.
Oketch added that, guided by the Energy (Integrated National Energy Plan) Regulations, 2025, EPRA was focused on providing guidelines for implementing emerging energy sources through public participation while strengthening the technical capacity required to inform Kenya’s long-term energy decisions.
The meeting is convened under the IAEA’s African Regional Cooperative Agreement (AFRA), which brings together 50 African states, including Kenya, to advance the peaceful application of nuclear science and technology to development priorities.
Under AFRA’s energy programme, Technical Cooperation Project RAF2015 is strengthening countries’ capacity for integrated energy planning.
The meeting builds on the momentum of the International Conference on Nuclear Energy (ICoNE 2026), led by President William Samoei Ruto, which reaffirmed Kenya’s ambition to develop up to 6,000 MW of nuclear power as part of its long-term industrialisation strategy.
The ambition comes alongside ongoing site identification and characterisation in Kilifi and Siaya, as well as efforts to strengthen the policy, legal and institutional frameworks for the safe and responsible development of nuclear energy.
EPRA is Kenya’s National Counterpart Institution for Project RAF2015 and coordinates the implementation of the project’s activities in the country.
The regional meeting provides an opportunity for participating countries to share experiences, strengthen technical capabilities and learn from approaches being applied across Africa to address complex energy planning challenges.
