Panacea (medicine)

Agriculture

Engineering

Fuel poverty

Archaeology

Energy poverty

Economics

Market economy

Protocol (science)

Environmental health

Business

Alternative medicine

Life expectancy

Geography

Political science

Kenya

Population

Poverty

Medicine

Economic growth

Natural resource economics

Agricultural economics

Standard of living

Electricity

Electrical engineering

Pathology

Journal of Energy

Energy poverty affects physical health, well-being, and ability to prosper. A large proportion of Kenyan population lack access to electricity because they are located far from the national grid where it is uneconomical to extend electricity. This paper assesses energy poverty situation in Kirinyaga and reviews its implication on standard of living. Kirinyaga is a rural county with the main economic activity being agriculture and a few agroprocessing factories. Most rural households in Kirinyaga rely on fuel wood to meet their basic energy requirements and lack access to electricity. Tea factories and educational institutions rely on fuel wood to minimize cost of electricity. Kirinyaga residents, therefore, experience energy poverty as indicated by low electricity access and reliance on traditional cooking fuels. Energy poverty in Kirinyaga has negative impact on indicators of standards of living, calorific intake, life expectancy, and literacy levels.

Energy Poverty and Its Implication on Standard of Living in Kirinyaga, Kenya