When promises are not (yet) met: local dysphoria, contestations, and the struggle for survival amidst large-scale solar energy development in Kenya

Abstract Background Across Africa, employment and corporate social responsibility (CSR) promises are used by land investors to mobilize community support for large-scale renewable energy projects. Often times, when such promises are backpedaled or do not materialize as anticipated, local contestations become imminent. Using the case of Alten Solar energy in Kenya, this article aims to show how the energy investor appears to be struggling to deliver on its promises – and how this has provoked local contestations. While local contests linked to energy projects constructed on communally-owned land are not uncommon in the country and have been widely documented, contestations regarding projects constructed on privately-owned land are yet to receive sufficient scholarly attention despite similar equity stakes. This paper aims to bridge this gap and is guided by basic ideas drawn from theories of peasant resistance to offer insights into the micro politics around solar energy development in the specific context of private land ownership. Data was elicited using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions conducted on two occasions: from February – March 2023 and November – December 2023, with a follow-up visit in February 2025. Results The results show that local contests are about the benefits that people anticipate from the solar project, rather than seeking to prevent it. Rural people, despite being critical of the project, struggle with the company through their relations with the county government and local elites, to demand a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) that could offer them more opportunities and address unintended socio-environmental challenges. Conclusions The study suggests the need for the energy investor to respect its CSR promises, and to adhere to its time plan, as specified in the new MoU signed with the communities. It also emphasizes the need for the government to implement policies ensuring that communities benefit directly from energy investments. Ensuring a proper benefit-sharing mechanism, fulfilling CSR promises, and addressing socio-environmental impacts linked to the solar project would (re)present more attractive ‘terms of incorporation’, and possibly reduce societal resistance ‘from below’.