Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Nairobi, Kenya

With over 4 million inhabitants and a growth rate of over 4% annually, Kenya’s capital city Nairobi is the largest and most populous city in the country, and the tenth largest city in Africa. It is an established hub and the main commercial centre of the country with a well-developed business infrastructure, and is estimated to generate more than 63% of Kenya’s gross domestic product (World Bank, 2015).

Nairobi has a diverse industrial base with railways being the largest single industrial employer. Light-manufacturing industries produce beverages, cigarettes, and processed food, while tourism is also important (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2018). Nairobi has the largest concentration of industries and wealthy homes in the country, with half of the country’s large power users located in the city’s industrial areas and central business district. Remarkably, Nairobi County accounted for more than half of Kenya’s national electricity  consumption in the four years to June 2017, reflecting the capital city’s economic dominance over the other 46 counties (Daily Nation, 2018).