New Publication: Land acquisition, renewable energy development, and livelihood transformation in rural Kenya – The case of the Kipeto wind energy project

By Frankline Ndi, Future Rural Africa Project C02 Energy Futures.

Abstract

In Kenya, as well as in other parts of the global South, the drive to expand electricity production through large-scale renewable energy projects such as wind, solar and geothermal have been widely documented, along with land-related contestations emerging from within the affected communities. However, cases where local people consent to cede land to land investors have not yet received sufficient scholarly attention. Focusing on the Kipeto wind energy project in Kenya, this paper presents a counterpoint to the theoretical postulate of ‘accumulation by dispossession’ – to show how accumulation was possible without community dispossession of land. Grounded in empirical research, the paper argues, first, that land acquisition for wind energy development does not necessarily lead to dispossession if affected populations are compensated fairly, for example with better housing, jobs, money, and importantly are allowed to continue accessing land to sustain livelihoods. Second, the achievability of Kipeto wind energy project is largely due to the company’s strategic approach to land consultation and negotiation with communities, which leads to wider social acceptance of the wind energy project. Nevertheless, some landowners have expressed their dissatisfaction concerning the financial compensation mechanisms. Thus, there is need for a longitudinal study to ascertain the extent to which the project developer and landowners keep to their promises as well as to understand the long-term impacts of land deals.

Reference

Ndi, F. 2024. Land acquisition, renewable energy development, and livelihood transformation in rural Kenya: The case of the Kipeto wind energy project, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 112, 2024, DOI

More CRC News

group foto taken at a workshop

Dissemination Workshop in Dodoma: Discussing Futures of Rural Transformation

On 25 April 2025, the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) Future Rural Africa co-hosted a Dissemination Workshop in Dodoma, Tanzania together with the German Institute of ...
Read More »
Thumbnail of a video featuring anna-katharina hornidge

Video: Anna-Katharina Hornidge on Research, Training and Value Chain Development in Tanzania

Anna-Katharina Hornidge is the director of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and researcher in Future Rural Africa Project B05 Science Futures. She ...
Read More »
geothermal energy plant in Kenya

New Publication: The Unintended Socio-Economic Transformations of Kenya’s Green Energy Boom

In this new publication, Clemens Greiner, Britta Klagge, Samuel Owuor (Project C02 Energy Futures) alognside Cynthia Wamukota and Isaiah Nyandega examine the unintended socio-economic impacts of ...
Read More »
Group photo with the minister, Deputy Minsiter, Parmanent Secretary, the Board members

Professor Theobald Frank Theodory Appointed to NEMC Board of Directors

We are proud to share that Professor Dr. Theobald Frank Theodory of Mzumbe University, Tanzania, and cooperation partner of Project C03 Green Futures, has been ...
Read More »
image of an african savannah

New Publication: How Land-Use Change Shapes Carbon Storage in African Savannas

In this article, Liana Kindermann, Alexandra Sandhage-Hofmann, Wulf Amelung, Jan Börner, J., Ezequiel Fabiano, Maximilian Meyer and Anja Linstädter (Project A01 Future Carbon Storage) and ...
Read More »
Scroll to Top