The national government has been challenged to strengthen existing policies that would encourage the use of renewable energy across the country.

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Devolved units have also been asked to develop their own policies on renewable energy.

According to the advocacy officer for Climate and Energy at Hivos in East Africa, a non-governmental organization, Maimuna Kabatesi, only four counties have set up policies on the use of renewable energy.

“Counties need capacity building so that they know what renewable energy is and what benefits it has to the common mwananchi,” she said.

Speaking in Eldoret after a training for journalists from Western Kenya, Kabatesi expressed the need for devolved units and the national government to partner with the private sector so as to provide an alternative source of energy to the public even as it seeks to protect forests from illegal logging.

She further noted that use of charcoal and firewood has led to adverse effects across the country key being deaths of about 15,000 women and children annually.

“Charcoal and firewood use is not good for the human respiratory system. Research has shown that there have been rising cases of eye, nose and cancer diseases due to the use of the two as sources of energy,” said Kabatesi.

“To reduce this we need to work together and see how to push the alternatives and allow Kenyans have access to clean sources of energy,” she added.