Why Kenya must embrace Power purchase agreements to drive its solar future

The Kitume solar farm in Kericho County. [Nikko Tanui, Standard]

Kenya has emerged as one of Africa’s clean energy leaders, with solar power playing an increasingly central role in the country’s energy mix. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and the introduction of a net metering framework are reshaping the commercial and industrial sector by providing predictable, cost-effective alternatives to Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) tariffs.

On rooftops of factories, solar panels are quietly reshaping Kenya’s energy future. Yet for all their promise, one policy tool — the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) — remains under-utilised, poorly understood, and insufficiently publicised, even as it drives renewable energy growth across the globe.