In Nairobi’s Mathare settlement, electricity is both essential and risky. Most households rely on informal networks that are unsafe and unreliable. At the same time, Kenya Power loses revenue by informal electricity suppliers and struggles to build trust with communities. This research set out to answer one question: How can we transform these informal systems into a safer and more reliable electricity system?
To explore this, we worked with community reseachers, informal providers, Kenya Power representatives, and local organizations. Through interviews, workshops, and focus groups discussions, we co-developed a Community-Based Energy Cooperative (CBEC) roadmap. This approach turns informal providers into certified Community Energy Agents (CEAs), aligns tariffs with community affordability, and ensures transparent governance.
The key insight? Bottom-up, community-owned structures work better than top-down programs. By formalizing what already exists, we can make electricity both safer and more sustainable, while giving Kenya Power a trusted role in Mathare.
This matters because safe, reliable power isn’t just about lights, it’s about dignity, opportunity, and trust. The biggest lesson was that lasting change happens when institutions listen, and communities lead.
By Beau van der Meer
