Stakeholders say developed energy infrastructure will feed Africa's rapid growth

Stakeholders have launched the water electricity and renewable energy expo to drive the development of energy infrastructure to feed Africa’s rapid growth in power and water demand.

The expo, which is scheduled for September 2025, is aimed at opening doors for international sector players to engage with their African counterparts to bridge the existing gaps in the water, electricity, and renewable energy sectors.

According to Kenya Renewable Energy Association chief executive Cynthia Muhati, the Sub-Saharan region faces significant challenges in attracting investment.

While launching the expo in Nairobi, it was noted that  Africa’s power and water demand had witnessed rapid growth over the years due to robust economic growth, a rising population, and an increasing middle class with an equally growing demand for utilities. “The utility sector is expanding as an outcome of the growing demand for energy and water resulting from the rapid urban and industrial expansion, a fast-growing population, and a change in modern lifestyle,” it was noted.

The expo will attract stakeholders from diverse sectors, who will work with support from the governments of Kenya and Egypt and other countries involved, as well as the private sector, to boost electricity access.

Some of the challenges are associated with political instability, weak governance, inadequate regulatory frameworks, and insufficient financing.

According to Unicef, Eastern and Southern Africa rank lowest in access to at least basic drinking water services, with over 226 million people in the region having no access to at least basic drinking water services.

At the launch, it was noted that Africa experienced a failure of water systems, which was characterised by a high proportion of non-functional systems, high breakdown rates, and poor cost recovery.

As such, smart water solutions such as solar-powered water supply systems that offer more sustainable and economically beneficial solutions are continually growing.

Eastern Africa is a region with vast untapped energy resources, including hydro, geothermal, wind, and solar power, which could be harnessed to support economic growth and development.

With the sectors facing a funding gap, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) chief executive Dr Ehud Gachugu said affordable water and electricity are essential in driving economic growth. Hence, we are championing policies that drive investments in these sectors.

“These drive critical sectors like agriculture. This expo will bridge social gaps like technology transfer, bring innovations and new research agenda for academia,” Dr Gachugu said.

“Investor readiness is an issue that we continue to look at, despite Kenya’s being aggressive around expansion. The capacity has remained a challenge, as well as the level of innovation,” he said.