NAIROBI, Kenya – Following a marathon of protracted talks that ran deep into the night, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki brokered a compromise that restored learning to the country’s universities after a crippling lecturers’ strike.
Barely hours later, as the ink on the deal was still drying, he departed for Brazil, where for the Leaders’ Summit ahead of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
He delivered an address that underscored Kenya’s growing reputation as a continental leader in clean energy transition and climate diplomacy.
“Kenya continues to lead the world in renewable energy transition, with 93% of all energy generated from green sources, solar, wind, and geothermal,” he said. “This remarkable achievement has earned Kenya global recognition, even as we aim to achieve 100% green energy by 2030.”
Prof. Kindiki noted that three out of every four Kenyan households (75%) now have access to electricity, with 10.6 million homes connected to the grid. With intensified investment in last-mile rural electrification, he said, universal access by 2030 is firmly within reach.
He outlined Kenya’s ambitious 600 billion US Dollars investment plan to accelerate the energy transition, backed by a national workforce reskilling programme and a strategy to phase out biomass cooking by 2028, a shift he described as essential to “greener, healthier communities.”
Turning to the global stage, the Deputy President framed Africa as pivotal to the planet’s energy future.
“Africa holds the key to the global green transition,” he said. “The continent has the world’s largest untapped renewable energy resources, vast critical minerals essential for the transition, and a youthful demographic capable of powering the next generation of sustainable manufacturing.”
He cautioned, however, that this promise can only be realised if climate financing pledges are honoured and the global financial system is restructured to make capital more accessible and affordable for developing economies.
“The process of realising Kenya and Africa’s climate-action commitments is threatened by a two-trillion-dollar funding gap,” he warned. “Filling this gap is the non-negotiable floor for global solidarity.”
Prof. Kindiki urged developed nations to increase climate financing structured as grants rather than loans, warning that it would be unjust for “the victims of climate change to pay for their own survival.”
He further argued that restructured climate financing is essential to avert a climate-induced sovereign debt crisis, which could reverse decades of progress in developing nations.
Closing his remarks, the Deputy President called for a more equitable global approach to climate action.
“The world must ensure that women, youth, and farmers are empowered, so that the benefits of the green economy are shared equitably across communities, genders, and generations,” he said.
From stabilising a domestic impasse to shaping Kenya’s message on the global climate front, the actions of the law professor illustrated the steady hand of a leader earning respect both within and beyond the country’s borders.
