The Influence of Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Sustainability of Green Energy Projects in Kenya: a Case of Solar Energy Projects in Busia County, Kenya

Abstract

Access to clean and affordable electricity may stimulate rural development. Unfortunately, there are some parts of the Country in Kenya yet to be connected to the national grid. Furthermore, there is a demand for considerations of alternative sources of energy, such as solar energy, which are not only environmentally friendly but also have lower levels of carbon emission. As a result, solar energy power projects are being considered, even though their long-term viability face numerous challenges. Consequently, this research aimed at examining the influence of stakeholder engagement on the sustainability of solar energy projects. Specifically, the research sought to; (i) determine how stakeholders’ engagement in the governance structure influence solar energy project sustainability in Busia County, Kenya, (ii) Examine how stakeholders’ engagement in capacity building effect sustainability of solar energy projects in Busia County, Kenya, (iii) Determine whether stakeholders’ engagement in resources mobilization has impact on sustainability of solar energy projects in Busia County, Kenya, (iv) Establish whether stakeholders’ engagement in monitoring and evaluation influence sustainability of solar energy projects in Busia County, Kenya. The literature review is organized according to the research themes. The research was based on stakeholders theory, agency theory, and resource mobilization theory. The study design that was utilized was one that was descriptive, and it incorporated both qualitative and quantitative data. The target population was 1,849 customers drawn from households and institutions in Busia County, Kenya, that are connected to 10 solar energy projects. By using the Krejcie and Morgan Table to calculate sample size, a sample of 319 respondents was taken into consideration. Primary data was collected using questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics analyzed quantitative data with use of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 24) software. The findings are reported with corresponding tables and figures. The findings demonstrated a favorable and statistically significant correlation between the four independent variables of the stakeholders' engagement and project sustainability. Specifically, stakeholders’ engagement in governance structure influenced project sustainability by 34%, this included government policies such as subsidies and taxes, sourcing of quality products and the decision making during the budgeting processes. The study also demonstrated that well defined roles and proper feedback on the recommendations were crucial for the solar energy project’s sustainability. Similarly, stakeholders’ engagement influence on the M&E frameworks was the least. As such, the study recommends additional capacity building of stakeholders on the M&E aspects of the project. Further research is recommended in other counties in order to understand the contextual variances of stakeholders’ engagement in green energy projects across the country and the whole of the area.