On October 15th, 2026 in Kenya, the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) will be holding the Sustainable Energy Conference 2026 in Naivasha next month, uniting investors, financiers, policymakers and leaders of the energy industry in order to speed up investment in renewable energy and encourage industrial development throughout Africa.
The conference, which was to take place from November 24 to 27 at the KenGen Olkaria Geothermal Spa, will have the theme “Powering Africa’s Green Industrial Revolution.”
The event wishes to change the discussions regarding Africa’s energy transition from a focus on its resource potential to practical investments and commercially viable projects and partnerships which create jobs, strengthen industries and improve people’s livelihoods.
At the time of the announcement, KenGen stated that Africa’s greatest energy problem was not a shortage of natural resources but rather inadequate investment to turn those resources into economic prosperity.
The continent has significant potential in terms of solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal resources, but still encounters large gaps in electricity access and financing.
The figures quoted at the time of the announcement show that Africa makes up about 20 per cent of the world’s population yet draws in less than 3 per cent of global energy investment and only 2 per cent of investment in clean energy. It is estimated that 600 million Africans still do not have access to electricity.
According to KenGen, effective action to fill these gaps would need greater cooperation between governments, investors, financiers, utilities and industrial companies if projects capable of supporting economic growth were to be realised.
The conference is aiming to attract more than 1,500 delegates from more than 80 countries, comprising 200 investors, 40 financiers, 100 utilities and power producers, and 100 exhibitors.
The programme will centre on four strategic pillars: benchmarking, networking, finance and trade, with a focus on linking together stakeholders and investment opportunities and on speeding up the development of sustainable energy projects.
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In Kenya’s opinion, the economic value of Africa’s energy transition should be assessed not just on the basis of electricity generation capacity but also in terms of the industries that it serves, the jobs it creates and the communities it transforms.
The fact that Olkaria has been chosen as the site for the conference underscores Kenya’s geothermal development and its potential to support energy-intensive industrial activities.
According to KenGen, over 90 per cent of the generation capacity it has installed is derived from renewable energy sources, mainly geothermal, hydroelectric and wind power.
The company is at the same time moving forward with plans for its KenGen Green Energy Park at Olkaria, aiming to link clean and reliable geothermal electricity with manufacturing, enterprise and industrial development.
The initiative is part of a more general aim of going beyond the generation of renewable electricity to the development of industries which can benefit from clean energy that is both affordable and reliable.
KenGen stated that Africa should aim at developing its own manufacturing capacity, at enhancing its technical expertise and at providing opportunities for young people, rather than exporting its resources while importing finished products and the economic benefits connected with them.
This method could be used to put African economies in a position to take a more active role in the global clean energy economy at the same time as meeting their development goals concerning employment, industrial competitiveness and access to electricity.
KenGen is inviting investors, financiers, technology providers, project developers, utilities and corporate energy consumers to take part in the four-day conference.
The company hopes to use the meeting to establish partnerships which can turn renewable energy opportunities into funded projects and businesses that are commercially sustainable.
This emphasis arises as African countries are seeking financing for their energy infrastructure while at the same time aiming to extend electricity access, promote economic growth and cut emissions.
Geothermal energy is still an important element of Kenya’s strategy for renewable energy, since Olkaria offers a solid foundation for further investigation into the way clean electricity can support industrial operations.
According to KenGen, the conference’s success would in the end be based on the amount of investment raised, the partnerships set up and the economic opportunities generated rather than on the number of speeches given.
Registration, as well as opportunities to receive sponsorship and to exhibit, can be obtained via KenGen’s official website at www.kengen.co.ke.
The company has also asked the media to stress the broader economic effects of investing in sustainable energy, such as the development of new industries, the growth of existing businesses, job opportunities, and better livelihoods.
The organisers intend for the conference in November to establish Olkaria as a platform upon which Africa’s renewable energy potential can be turned into real industrial and economic advancement.
