Abstract:
Renewable energy is important for enhancing energy accessibility, supporting broader development goals, and
ensuring environmental sustainability. This study investigates the influence of four types of renewable energy, namely solar, wind,
hydroelectric, and geothermal energy, on energy accessibility in Kenya, guided by the Energy Justice Theory and Energy Stacking
Theory. An explanatory research design was adopted using annual secondary data from 1990 to 2023 sourced from the World
Bank, IEA, KNBS, and EPRA. Hypotheses were tested through an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model with lag order
selected using information criteria. The estimated ARDL (4,4,4,1,4) model reveals that renewable energy sources significantly
influence energy accessibility in both the short and long run. Long-run results show that solar energy exerts a positive and
statistically significant effect on energy accessibility (β = 73.8975, p = 0.002), hydroelectric energy shows a positive and significant
effect (β = 0.8807, p < 0.001), and geothermal energy similarly contributes positively (β = 0.1360, p < 0.001). In contrast, wind
energy exhibits a negative and statistically significant long-run relationship (β = -0.2623, p = 0.023), attributed to grid integration
challenges and intermittency. The error correction term is negative and significant (β = -5.472, p < 0.001), confirming rapid
adjustment to long-run equilibrium. Diagnostic tests confirm that the model is well specified, showing normality, no
multicollinearity, homoscedasticity, and no serial correlation. The model explains 97.57% of variation in energy accessibility (R² =
0.9757). The study recommends strengthening pay-as-you-go solar models, upgrading transmission infrastructure in wind-rich
regions such as Turkana, modernising hydroelectric infrastructure with climate-smart planning, and accelerating geothermal
exploration through concessional financing and private partnerships