Hivos,- through the Green and Inclusive Energy programme– and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Nairobi (SOJ) are embarking on a long-term collaboration to increase the frequency and quality of reporting on green and inclusive energy issues in Kenya. This will be done in a number of ways, including building the capacity of journalism and development communication students in renewable energy and working with media practitioners in sub-national areas.
To this end, an event has been organised to take place on 21 February 2018: the State of Renewable Energy Roundtable. The roundtable will kick off conversations on changing the narrative when it comes to reporting on energy issues in the mainstream media.
Access to clean energy in Kenya, although growing, is still limited in some areas. Biomass is widely used for cooking purposes. When it comes to lighting, kerosene is too often the source particularly in peri-urban and rural areas. Lack of access to clean energy can have dire consequences for citizens, including negative health impacts, and socio-economic effects related to searching for energy sources.
Through increasing access to affordable lighting, cooking and energy for productive income- generating activities, renewable energy technologies offer an opportunity to accelerate the expansion of energy access in remote and rural areas. To drive this conversation, media forms an important component due to its ability to provide constant information across population.
It is within this context that Hivos and School of Journalism at the University of Nairobi have forged a partnership that seeks to propel change in the narrative landscape of energy.
The roundtable will feature key panellists drawn from: Ministry of Energy, Hivos, School of Journalism – University of Nairobi, GIZ and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance.
The event will also bring together journalists, editors, academia, civil society, national government, private sector and development sector to accelerate discussions on the renewable energy sector and the status of energy reporting.