By Dr. Kariuki Muigua, PhD (Leading Environmental Law Scholar, Natural Resources Lawyer and Dispute Resolution Expert in Kenya)*

The legal and policy framework for energy justice in Kenya includes the provision of the Constitution on energy resources, energy policy and regulation and the respective rights tied to provision of energy in the country. The Energy Act, 2019 and the institutional framework established under it as well as the National Energy Policy, 2018 are also important in safeguarding and guaranteeing the realization of energy justice in the country.  Further, the legal and constitutional provisions outlining the respective roles of the two levels of Government and how they may exercise their mandates contain crucial guidelines on energy justice.

Constitution of Kenya, 2010

The Constitution enshrines economic and social rights of all in Kenya. In particular, Article 43 of the Constitution provides for the economic and social rights of all persons. It provides for the rights of all persons to: to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to health care services, including reproductive health care; to accessible and adequate housing, and to reasonable standards of sanitation; to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality; to clean and safe water in adequate quantities; to social security; and to education. Access to energy is crucial for the realisation of most of these rights.

This provision was tested recently in the ongoing case where, in the quest for energy justice, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has sued the Ministers of Energy and National Treasury over the escalation of Energy Prices in Kenya. KHRC states in its pleadings that “the sharp rise in fuel can be attributed to a policy shift where the State abruptly suspended a fuel subsidy designed to cushion customers from higher fuel prices. The rise in fuel costs is expected to hurt Kenyans as the cost of living surges, with the prices of other commodities rising as a result of higher petrol cost.” KHRC also notes that the fuel taxes in the country are half the total amount charged at the pump and argued that the move to overtax fuel and energy is an impediment to basic rights such as food, housing, healthcare and water.

In addition to the KHRC, two private Kenyans, Isaiah Odando and Wilson Yata have moved to court to challenge the recent hike in fuel prices and seeking to quash the decision by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to adjust petroleum excise duty rates on the basis that it was made without public participation. AS stated in their petition: “The decision by the Commissioner General of the Kenya Revenue Authority to adjust excise duty rates for petroleum products though discretionary has been described as a burden by the already overtaxed Kenyans and was devoid of proper public participation at a time when Kenyans are reeling from the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic thereby compromising the people’s entitlement to social justice under Article 10 of the constitution.”

Further, the Constitution recognises energy as part of natural resources. Indeed, Article 260 recognizes energy as part of the natural resources in Kenya by defining natural resources as including physical non-human factors and components, whether renewable or non-renewable, including inter alia rocks, minerals, fossil fuels and other sources of energy. In turn, Article 69 of the Constitution guarantees the right of access to natural resources including energy for the people of Kenya. Equitable sharing of the accruing benefits of these natural resources is also guaranteed. Energy can be seen as an accruing benefit and therefore, Kenyan people are entitled to the benefits of the same. Thus, Article 69 (h) of the Constitution obligates the state to energy resources for the benefit of the people of Kenya and guarantee access to energy.

Consequently, the state has an obligation to ensure sustainable exploitation, utilisation, management and conservation of the environment and natural resources including energy, and ensure the equitable sharing of the accruing benefits from such resources.  The Constitution further identifies sustainable development as one of the national values and principles that is to guide the development agenda in the country. Sustainable exploitation and utilisation of energy as a natural resource will guarantee energy justice by achieving intra and inter-generational equity.

In addition, the Constitution provides for a two tier structure of government, that is, the National and the County Governments. It distributes the functions and powers between the two levels as outlined in Chapter Eleven and the Fourth Schedule. Fourth schedule specifically provides that the national Government is mandated with the protection of the environment and natural resources with a view to establishing a durable and sustainable system of development, including, in particular inter alia energy policy including electricity and gas reticulation and energy regulation. This function is not exclusive to the national Government since under county planning and development, the counties are also charged with inter alia electricity and gas reticulation and energy regulation.

Energy Act, No. 1 of 2019

The Energy Act mandates the government to facilitate the provision of affordable energy services to all persons in Kenya. In Part III, the Act establishes National Energy Entities which are the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Energy and Petroleum Tribunal, Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation and Nuclear Power and Energy Agency. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority is mainly tasked with regulatory activities related to inter alia the generation, importation, exportation, distribution and supply of electric energy, petroleum and petroleum products, renewable energy and other forms of energy.

The Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the rural electrification programme and promoting the use of renewable energy and technologies among other functions. The Nuclear Power and Energy Agency is tasked with inter alia implementation of the nuclear energy programme and promoting the development of nuclear electricity generation in Kenya. Implementation of the Act is important in enhancing energy justice in Kenya as the National Energy Entities established under the Act have the ability to promote attainment of the right to energy in Kenya. The Energy and Petroleum Tribunal is established for purposes of hearing and determining disputes and appeals relating to the energy and petroleum sector in accordance with the Act.

As stipulated under section 25 of the Act, there is no doubt the jurisdiction of the Energy and Petroleum Tribunal is capable of significantly contributing to the enhancement of energy justice in Kenya through its decisions and pronouncements. In particular, the Tribunal has jurisdiction to hear determine all matters referred to it relating to the energy and petroleum sector arising under the Energy Act or any other Act with exception of the trial of any criminal offence. It also has original civil jurisdiction on any dispute between a licensee and a third party or between licensees. Further, the Energy and Petroleum Tribunal bears appellate jurisdiction over the decisions of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) and any licensing authority. It is entitled to grant equitable reliefs including but not limited to injunctions, penalties, damages, specific performance.

National Energy Policy, 2018

The National Energy Policy, 2018 recognises energy as a critical component in the economy, standard of living and national security of a country. It is geared towards achieving several objectives which include inter alia improving access to affordable, competitive and reliable energy services, promoting energy efficiency and conservation and promoting diversification of energy supply sources in Kenya to ensure security of supply. It sets out several policies and strategies towards the use, development and conservation of energy sources in the country such as coal resources, renewable energy and electricity. The Policy also contains Energy efficiency and conservation measures aimed at reducing energy consumption without sacrificing productivity or increasing costs. It is an ambitious policy document that is central to the attainment of the national development blueprint, Kenya Vision 2030 and the Government‘s Big Four Agenda. Effective implementation of the Policy may promote energy security and justice in the country.

*This is article is an extract from an article by Dr. Kariuki Muigua, PhD, Muigua, K., Towards Energy Justice in Kenya, Available at: http://kmco.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/ 2020/02/Towards-Energy-Justice-in-Kenya-00000005.pdf. Dr. Kariuki Muigua is Kenya’s foremost Environmental Law and Natural Resources Lawyer and Scholar, Sustainable Development Advocate and Conflict Management Expert. Dr. Kariuki Muigua is a Senior Lecturer of Environmental Law and Dispute resolution at the University of Nairobi School of Law and The Center for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy (CASELAP). He has published numerous books and articles on Environmental Law, Environmental Justice Conflict Management, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Sustainable Development. Dr. Muigua is also a Chartered Arbitrator, an Accredited Mediator, the Africa Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Managing Partner of Kariuki Muigua & Co. Advocates. Dr. Muigua is recognized as one of the leading lawyers and dispute resolution experts by the Chambers Global Guide 2021 and nominated as ADR Practitioner of the Year (Nairobi Legal Awards) 2021. 

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