Kenya moved a step closer to slashing the climate impact of its booming cooling sector on Tuesday when German development agency GIZ handed over eighty sets of advanced, eco-friendly refrigeration tools worth millions of shillings.
The equipment, ranging from leak detectors to recovery and recycling machines, was received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport under the Green Room Air Conditioning (GRACE) project funded by Germany’s International Climate Initiative.
Environment Secretary Dr Selly Kimosop, standing in for Principal Secretary Festus Ng’eno, said soaring demand for fridges, air conditioners and cold rooms in homes, hospitals and businesses was driving both energy bills and emissions sky-high.
Many units still rely on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases thousands of times worse than carbon dioxide.
“This transition to sustainable, energy-efficient cooling is no longer optional. It is an imperative,” Kimosop told guests, warning that without action Kenya risked undermining its Paris Agreement commitments.
The new tools will be distributed to technical colleges including Samburu, Nyakach, Komothai, Railways, Ugenya and Baringo, enabling lecturers to train the next generation of technicians in handling natural refrigerants and high-efficiency systems.
Dr Ng’eno urged colleges to put the kit to immediate use and called on private firms to invest in green cooling. He promised tougher enforcement of standards and a continued phase-down of climate-damaging gases.
GIZ’s Philipp Denzinger said the handover marked a practical milestone in turning Kenya’s National Cooling Action Plan into reality.
With temperatures rising and urban middle-class demand for air conditioning surging, campaigners hailed the donation as a vital boost to keeping millions of new fridges and AC units from heating the planet.
