Kenya has only exploited 10 percent of its renewable energy potential, according to communication strategist Odhiambo Otieno, who says secrecy, identity politics, and poor economic literacy are holding the country back.
Speaking on Monday on Radio Generation, he called for transparency on natural resources, better public education on levies, and a shift towards issue-based politics to unlock growth.
Otieno argued that the country has abundant renewable energy resources that could drive industrialisation if fully exploited and openly discussed.
“When you have the power reserves, we have natural power sources,” he said, adding that once exploited, “you then are in a position to produce that power which enables you to industrialize and to invite people to do so, because you have cheap power, and it's something that's renewable.”
He described geothermal energy as the perfect example of renewable power, explaining how turbines can last decades.
He noted that some of the turbines in use are years old and operate through steam-driven systems that continuously recycle energy.
Despite this vast potential, he said Kenya has tapped only about lesser percentage of its renewable resources, attributing the shortfall to the absence of a comprehensive audit of the country’s natural assets.
“The issue of natural resources in this country seems to be something that is kept secret,” he said. “People don't want to talk about it, and that is what kills an idea like the sovereign wealth fund.”
Otieno pointed to the fuel levy as an example of a concept that already works but is poorly explained to the public.
He described it as one of the most beautiful things he has ever heard, noting that instead of toll booths, the levy is embedded in fuel prices so that nobody escapes from paying it.
He argued that better public communication could ease resistance to infrastructure financing. “All you do is explain to the people so that they understand,” he said, adding that debates about returning to toll booths were taking us back when the levy system was already in place.
Otieno broadened his critique to Kenya’s political culture, arguing that economic conversations are often derailed by identity politics.
“Instead of the public sitting down and listening and talking genuinely about economy, they're talking about who is our person and who isn't,” he said.
He contrasted regions, saying that areas with stronger economic awareness tended to fare better.
“Until when there is a national awakening, the people who are economically ahead will always be ahead of the rest of the nation economically,” he said, citing Central Kenya as an example where citizens debate unit price of water as a political question.
According to Otieno, leadership plays a role in shaping these narratives. “Once political leadership is faulty to that extent, the people follow the lead,” he said.
He also questioned revenue collection and accountability, arguing that Kenya lacked a strong policy and a strong law around revenue collection.
He said leaders tasked with economic oversight often lacked the necessary understanding. “The very leaders who should be leading us in the question of finance have no understanding of finance,” he said.
Otieno criticised county governments for demanding more funds without adequate accountability. “They rarely tell you what they have done with the ones they've been given,” he said, calling the lack of accountability “completely lacking.”
On wages, he highlighted the plight of low-income workers, noting that security guards earn 6000 to 7000 per month despite a minimum wage of 15,000. He questioned why affected communities were not pushing harder for enforcement.
Ultimately, Otieno called for a shift towards issue-based politics. “Who stands to benefit when we do issue-based politics, it's us, the people,” he said, adding that if citizens waited for those who benefit from the status quo to lead change, “it will never happen.”
He concluded that development must be demand-driven and grounded in local realities, warning against projects that lack clear economic justification. “That is a waste of resources,” he said, urging Kenyans to focus on practical, transparent and inclusive economic solutions.
