A TEST OF ASYMMETRIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN URBAN POPULATION AND GREEN ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN KENYA

In this paper, we examine the relationship between urban population growth and energy consumption in Kenya, using data from 1980 to 2021. The justification for this study stems from the growing pressure on countries to reduce their carbon emissions by transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, thereby meeting needs of a rapidly growing urban population while advancing clean energy adoption at the same time. Specifically, the study aims to examine whether the nexus between urban population growth and green (renewable) energy consumption in Kenya is symmetric or asymmetric. The study used the recently developed NARDL (non-linear ARDL) model to examine this linkage. The study found that positive shocks to urban population growth and green energy consumption tend to move in the same direction in the long run, but in the short run, they are inversely related. The results also indicate that the negative shocks to urban population growth and green energy consumption move in the same direction in the long run. However, in the short run, the effects of the negative shocks on green energy consumption are statistically insignificant. Overall, the study found that the effects of positive shocks to urban population growth are more pronounced than those of the negative shocks