Kenya is an attractive market for power project development, supported by the Kenyan Government’s goal to achieve universal access to electricity by 2020 and an investment-friendly climate. However, some recent energy generation and other development projects were stalled or halted by community opposition that was based on concerns over project impacts, land ownership, lack of consensus regarding benefit sharing, or a combination of these and other related issues. More to the point: sometimes developers and communities have not engaged one another in a meaningful, timely, or productive way, leading otherwise good projects to get delayed or derailed altogether.

This guide is premised on the belief that developers and communities share mutually beneficial goals. For a developer, goals may include an efficient project development cycle leading to delivery of low-cost power and a profitable business model. For a community, goals may include appropriate mitigation for project impacts, compensation for land use, cultural protection, and/ or other forms of benefit sharing. Of course, all parties stand to gain from increased access to electricity and the resulting economic boost.

Achieving these goals in a way that brings positive outcomes for all parties requires meaningful, consistent, and empowering community engagement.