SESA will be present at the 9th edition of Africities will be held between 17th to 21st May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya with the theme “The Role of Intermediary Cities of Africa in the Implementation of Agenda 2030 of the United Nations and the African Union Agenda 2063”. 

Africities is the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa’s flagship pan-African event that is held every three years in one of the five regions of Africa. The aim is to strengthen the role of local and regional governments in the development of the continent and to help build the integration and unity of Africa from its territories. Africities summit is the largest democratic gathering organised in Africa. 

The session Smart Energy Solutions for Africa: Energy Access, Carbon Neutral Architecture and Electric Mobility will take place the upcoming Friday, 20th May from 14:30 to 16:00 EAT. The SESA project co-organises and hosts this panel discussion with UN-Habitat, ABC21, SOLUTIONSplus, and Urban Pathways. 

The session will bring together public and private sector stakeholders with experience in energy access, low carbon building designs, and electric mobility through sharing experiences from the world’s best practices which can be adopted and tailored for African countries, in order to advocate for low-carbon energy solutions in urban settings in Africa through enacting necessary conditions for adaptation of these innovations. 

The speakers (Caroline Vicini, Swedish ambassador to Kenya; Hon. Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco; Vincent Kitio, Lead, Urban Energy Team, UN-Habitat; Prof. Asmae Khaldoune, Al Akhawayn University-Morocco; Prof. François Garde, Director, Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieur, Université de La Réunion; Giorgia Rambelli, Climate Policy and Energy Governance, Coordinator at ICLEI European Secretariat; Eng. Ephrem Ouma, County Director in charge of Petroleum & Electricity, County Government of Kisumu; Kenneth Guantai, Autotruck; Stephen Omondi Ooko, We!Hub; ) will debate around necessary environmental policy changes including the establishment of supportive initiatives and incentives on energy and resource efficiency, and clean energy generation in cities.

During the event, SESA will officially launch the first co-development test site to be implemented in Western Kenya (in both rural (Homabay) and urban (Kisumu) locations). Self-sustaining solar hubs will be installed with the aim of achieving an integrated system for sustainable energy access, productive use of energy and a circular economy. 

Session agenda

• 6 mins: Welcome by moderator, Vincent Kitio, UN-Habitat
• 6 mins: Opening Remarks – State Department of Housing and Urban Development, Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure Housing, Urban Development and Public Works 
• 12 mins Inspirational Statements:

1. Smart and Low Carbon Energy for Africa, Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco
2. Green Energy Transition, Swedish Ambassdor to Kenya

• 34 mins: Showcasing Energy efficiency and clean energy Solutions

1. 8 mins: Bioclimatic Architecture: buildings providing comfort with low energy needs; Prof. ASMAE KHALDOUNE, Al Akhawayn University-Morocco; 
2. 8 mins: Green Architecture; Prof. FRANÇOIS GARDE, Director, Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieur,, Université de La Réunion
3. 6 mins: Electric Mobility Innovations in Kenya (Kenneth Guantai, Autotruck) 
4. 6 mins: Innovative energy solutions (Stephen Omondi Ooko, Head of Business Development and Innovation, We!Hub) 
5. 6 mins: Financing the Energy Transition (SwedFund)

• 15 mins: Q&A 
• 15 mins: Introducing the SESA project – The Kisumu Living Lab (Georgia Rambelli, ICLEI; Eng. Ouma, County Government of Kisumu)
• 2 mins: Closing Remarks by Moderator
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Find more information about the Africities event here.