Kenya is set to gain from the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) growing investments in Africa, with KSh 580 billion (USD 4.5 billion) allocated to green energy projects across the continent.
According to a press release from the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit, this funding will support solar, wind, geothermal, battery storage, and green hydrogen initiatives to increase electricity access, address power deficits, and drive economic diversification.
“Under the Africa Green Investment Initiative, USD 4.5 billion has been mobilised for more than 60 projects spanning solar, wind, geothermal, battery storage and green hydrogen,” read part of the release.
The statement confirmed that the UAE has emerged as Africa’s largest single-country investor in recent years, committing more than KSh 14.2 trillion (USD 110 billion) across the continent between 2019 and 2023. Of this, KSh 9 trillion (USD 70 billion) has been directed to energy, green, and renewable sectors.
“This scale of capital, the highest by any country in that period, signals a long-term bet on Africa’s growth, anchored on the view that reliable energy access underpins industrialisation and economic diversification,” it stated.
Momentum is building around clean energy financing under the Africa Green Investment Initiative, which has mobilised KSh 580 billion (USD 4.5 billion) for more than 60 projects covering solar, wind, geothermal, battery storage, and green hydrogen.
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Complementing this, Masdar’s KSh 1.29 trillion (USD 10 billion) Africa programme and the Etihad 7 initiative aim to expand electricity access to up to 100 million people by 2035, targeting structural power deficits and new generation capacity.
UAE Diplomatic and Trade Engagement
The UAE’s engagement in Africa was highlighted at the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where His Excellency Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, participated in discussions on peace, security, economic integration, and sustainable development.
“Our engagement with Africa is rooted in decades of trade, maritime links, and people-to-people connections across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean corridors.”
The UAE has also concluded nine Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, DRC, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Angola, Congo-Brazzaville, Mauritius, and the Central African Republic.
These agreements cover tariff reductions, services, digital trade, and investment protection and are designed to complement the African Continental Free Trade Area by strengthening value chains and cross-border competitiveness.
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Infrastructure and Development Cooperation
The release additionally said strategic logistics investments are reinforcing these trade flows. DP World is upgrading Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania with KSh 129 billion (USD 1 billion), while AD Ports has initiated a new terminal in Luanda, Angola, to expand container capacity.
Development cooperation remains a key pillar of UAE engagement, with nearly 40% of its foreign assistance over the past decade, approximately KSh 2.7 trillion (USD 20.9 billion), directed to African countries for development, humanitarian, and charitable support.
“Nearly 40% of the UAE’s total foreign assistance over the past decade has been directed to African countries in the form of development, humanitarian and charitable support,” the release highlighted.
Looking ahead, water and climate resilience are rising on the joint agenda. The UAE will co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference with Senegal, marking the first time two Global South countries will jointly lead this global process.
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