Title: How energy inequalities affect human well-being: A case study of Kenya
Abstract: Over the years poverty and well-being has taken several definitions. Recently, a wide literature unanimously agrees that the multidimensional aspects poverty such as economic, cultural, social and ecological has close linkages to lack of access to modern energy such as electricity or energy poverty. Thus, a focus on electricity for instance would be one possible mechanism of addressing multi-dimensional poverty and ensuring human well-being. Lack of access to electricity is attributable to but not limited to lack of affordability lack of access to electricity among the energy poor. To address the problems facing the electricity sector, classical neoliberals have proposed the commodification of the power sector with absolute no interference from any quota including government, while modern neoliberal’s view the role of government intervention as a necessity for ensuring equitable distribution of electricity as an essential service for all to ensure human well-being. The Kenya Government has adopted both proposal from the two fronts (classical and modern neoliberal ideologies) in a bid to resolve the electricity crisis and energy at large in what led to the development of the National Energy Policy document Sessional Paper, 2004 that governs the energy sector. Hence this thesis, evaluate how electricity policies, developed to address the energy poverty, enhances or contracts social inequalities and human capabilities, while also addressing energy poverty itself. The study is based on qualitative case study, conducted mainly used existing literature. The findings reveal that although the policy indicates sensitivity towards the energy poor, explicit targeting of the energy poor is lacking hence predominant existence of distributional inequalities. Furthermore, in so far as government pursues policies that promote electricity services to the poor, the government has failed to compare the policies with development goals such as enhancing capabilities and the overall well-being. Key Words: Energy Poor, Energy Poverty, Human well-being and inequalities (Less)
Publication Year: 2013
Publication Date: 2013-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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