Policy gaps lock out women investors from power sector

Lack of friendly policies, funding, and training are locking out women entrepreneurs from the energy sector.

As a result, Kenyan women are losing economic empowerment in their households and are not benefiting from the many gains that have been made in the sector in the past few years.

This is according to participants at a Women in Energy conference held in Nairobi.

Galana Oil Chief Executive Powell Maimba said it is crucial to involve women in policy creation and implementation if they are to be empowered well enough to be part of the sector.

“Let’s not think of energy in terms of the mega projects that the Government is currently implementing. Let’s look at energy from a household perspective,” he said.

“If we cut the power bill by at least 50 per cent, then we will have empowered women well enough so that they can even contribute financially to their households.”

Ms Catherine Auma, a KenGen spokesperson who represented newly-appointed CEO Rebecca Miano, said the power generation firm is in the process of embarking on more green energy production projects that could benefit women.