By 2024, close to 9.8 million households had a direct connection, including 1.2 million through standalone solar systems. Around 2 million off-grid solar products have been sold each year since 2020 (GOGLA). Yet a quarter of the population still lacks access, mainly in underserved regions, and the Compact commits to connecting a further 5.1 million households by 2030 to reach universal access.

As access expands, attention is turning to the productive use of renewable energy (PURE): energy use that raises productivity, income or employment. To update the evidence on the supply side, the Kenya Renewable Energy Association (KEREA), with support from GOGLA and funding from the IKEA Foundation, surveyed 54 PURE companies between Q4 2024 and Q3 2025. The survey covered company footprint, business models, distribution, technologies, customer segments, sales performance, and key success factors and challenges.

The findings describe a promising but uneven market. Most companies are small, with 58% reporting annual turnover of KES 1 to 50 million, and they are clustered in major cities, leaving arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) and other underserved regions with limited coverage. Standalone solar systems and solar water pumps are the most mature PURE technologies, with smaller pumps for smallholder farmers selling the most. Solar refrigeration, cold storage and agro-processing remain nascent, which signals significant untapped potential. High upfront costs, limited finance and high taxes on some appliances constrain growth, and cash remains the dominant payment model. Targeted fiscal incentives, stronger partnerships between suppliers and financial institutions, and investment in last-mile distribution will be critical for PURE to support livelihoods and Kenya’s universal access goal.