Africa and Kenya for that matter don’t have to follow the path developed nations took over 130 years ago to power their economies through coal plants.

Sweden just shuttered it’s last remaining coal plant two years ahead of their target joining the ranks of Belgium and Austria – the latter shutting its last coal plant in April this year and transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy.

And despite President Trump’s administration’s support for the coal industry in the United States the fact is coal power plants are closing fast.

Understandably, there are people in majority African governments who feel that these countries that are transitioning to renewable energy developed using coal power plants and that time is ripe for African nations including Kenya to use coal plants as a “cheaper” way of powering the continent.

Instead of calling communities that want sustainable development anti-development, they should push developed countries that are still using coal power plants to consider investing in renewable energy projects that will help mitigate climate change and protect our poor communities from the distressing impacts of climate change.