NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 7 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) have unveiled two Mitigation Action Facility–funded projects to advance Kenya’s climate targets and sustainable development agenda: a nationwide rollout of solar-powered cold storage and an initiative to electrify two- and three-wheelers.
Under a partnership with the Government of Kenya, UNDP and UNCDF will deploy 1,000 solar-powered cold storage units across the country to cut post-harvest losses, reduce methane emissions and raise farmer incomes. The project aims to preserve 5,000 tonnes of food, benefit 60,000 smallholders, and is aligned with Kenya’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy and updated NDCs. Over its lifetime, it is expected to avoid 4.8 million tonnes of CO₂e.
UNDP Kenya Resident Representative Dr Jean-Luc Stalon said Kenya’s post-harvest losses—driven by cold-chain gaps and grid reliability—represent an opportunity: “Within this challenge lies a $2.1 billion opportunity to strengthen our cold chain, ensure food reaches our tables, boost our economy and build a more resilient future.”
UNCDF Regional Investment Team Lead Omon Ukpoma-Olaiya said concessional loans and guarantees—channelled to large operators, technology providers and through local financial institutions—will de-risk private capital, enhance farmer incomes and build a sustainable cold-chain ecosystem.
The second project, ‘Electrifying Kenya’s Two and Three Wheelers’, is a five-year national programme led technically by WRI to accelerate adoption of clean two- and three-wheel transport—Kenya’s most common mobility segment. With tailored financing, the programme targets about 68,000 electric vehicles across Kilifi, Kiambu and Kajiado, supporting Kenya’s enhanced NDC goal of a 32% emissions reduction by 2030. It is expected to cut 1 million tonnes of emissions over ten years, create approximately 68,000 green jobs, and bolster local EV assembly and manufacturing.
WRI Kenya Country Representative George Mwaniki said the segment is primed for transformation: “Two-wheelers account for over 70% of annual vehicle registrations, and with 90% of Kenya’s electricity from renewables, electrifying this fleet offers a high-impact path to avoid fossil-fuel lock-in while supporting growth.”
Principal Secretary for Environment Dr Eng. Festus Ng’eno said the initiatives show how climate action and development can advance together: “By supporting farmers with solar cold storage and expanding clean transport, we are reducing emissions while building resilient communities and local industries.”