Epra Director General Daniel Kiptoo speaking during a sensitisation forum in Mombasa county, September 25, 2025. /EPRAThe Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority has challenged county governments to take charge of energy planning in their jurisdictions, saying devolution holds the key to Kenya’s clean energy future.
The call was made during sensitisation forums Epra is conducting across the country to explain new energy regulations that give counties a central role in charting their energy priorities.
Published under Legal Notice No. 83 of 2025, the Energy (Integrated National Energy Plan) Regulations provide a framework to align national and county energy planning in a coordinated, transparent and sustainable way.
“Energy is at the heart of Kenya’s economic and social transformation. For us to achieve universal access, accelerate the uptake of clean energy, and meet our climate goals, counties need to be able to play their part," Epra Director General Daniel Kiptoo said during a forum in Mombasa county.
He said the regulations will empower them to plan effectively for their energy needs, align with national strategies, unlock investments, and enable more Kenyans to benefit from reliable and sustainable energy.
Under the new law, every county must form a County Energy Planning Committee and prepare a 10-year County Energy Plan.
County Energy Plans (CEPs) are blueprints that outline how local communities will access affordable and clean energy over the next 10 years.
Through CEPs, counties will identify priority projects such as expanding electricity to schools and health centres, promoting clean cooking, or boosting renewable energy like solar and wind.
These will feed into the nationwide Integrated National Energy Plan (INEP), a tool designed to ensure long-term and evidence-based planning in the energy sector.
The move aims to end duplication, fragmentation, and misaligned priorities that have slowed down energy projects in the past.
The regulations further require counties to publish their energy plans, respond to local needs, identify priority projects, mobilise resources, and report annually on progress.
Community and stakeholder engagement has also been made a key requirement to ensure that people at the grassroots are directly involved in shaping energy solutions.
For ordinary Kenyans, it means better energy services closer to home, more jobs from new projects, and lower reliance on polluting fuels.
The INEP regulations apply not only to national and county governments but also to development partners, private sector players, and civil society organisations.
By connecting with Vision 2030 and the Paris Agreement, they give Kenya a 20-year roadmap to universal clean energy access by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
According to Epra, the forums will continue in all 47 counties to ensure local leaders and communities understand the opportunities created by the new framework.
The authority has urged counties to embrace their new role fully, saying that coordinated planning between the two levels of government is critical to delivering reliable and affordable energy to all Kenyans.
