Marsabit County Energy Dashboard

About the Project

The Marsabit County Energy Database is a comprehensive digital platform designed to collect, manage, and analyze energy-related data within Marsabit County, Kenya. It aims to provide a detailed inventory of the region’s energy resources, including renewable energy potential, energy consumption patterns, and infrastructure such as electricity grid access and distribution. The database serves as a critical tool for local authorities and stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding energy planning, sustainable development, and the improvement of energy access for the county’s population.

Summary

Current Status on Energy Consumption

Majority of Marsabit County residents use firewood for cooking.

Access to Electricity

0 %

Firewood

0 %

LPG

0 %

Overall, 42.1% of households in Marsabit County have access to electricity from various sources, with access significantly higher in urban areas (60.4%) compared to rural areas (24.3%). The majority of electrified households (86%) rely on the local KPLC grid, while the remaining 14% use standalone, off-grid systems. These off-grid solutions are primarily composed of solar home systems and rechargeable batteries.

A total of 41 learning institutions were surveyed, comprising 18 from rural areas and 23 from urban settings. Among them, 4 were private institutions while 37 were public. The surveyed institutions included 5 CTTIs/TVETs, 6 day primary schools, 1 mixed day and boarding primary school, 1 mixed day secondary school, and 28 ECDE centers.

A total of 36 healthcare facilities (HCFs) were interviewed—15 from rural areas and 21 from urban centers. Of these, 26 were Level 2 facilities, 7 were Level 3, 2 were Level 4, and 1 was a Level 5 referral hospital.

On average, rural facilities serve approximately 17 outpatients per day, while urban facilities report doubles that number. Larger facilities, such as the Level 5 hospital, receive significantly higher outpatient volumes—up to 150 patients daily.

A total of 55 businesses were surveyed across the county, with 7 located in rural areas and 48 in urban settings. The survey encompassed a diverse range of business types, including bakeries, restaurants and food joints, garages, welding workshops, salons and barbershops, electronics and accessories stores, chemists, and boutiques.

Households, institutions, healthcare facilities, and businesses all engage in energy conservation practices for both cooking and lighting. Common practices include removing firewood from the stove to prevent continued burning and extinguishing charcoal after cooking for reuse later—behaviors observed across all user categories. For lighting, many switch off lights when not in use and make use of natural daylight to reduce electricity consumption.

Cooking	Households (%)	Institutions (%)	HCF (%)	Businesses (%)
Pull out firewood out of the fire to prevent further burning	88.73	97.56	50.00	56.36
Put out charcoal when done cooking for future use	52.94	51.22	44.44	45.45
Cover cooking area to prevent heat loss	20.1	21.95	30.56	20.00
Use an improved cookstove for less consumption of energy	11.03	12.2	19.44	20.00
Other	1.47	2.44	22.22	27.27