Njoki Kangethe
In our first piece we unpacked the basics of geothermal; how steam trapped beneath the earth’s crust can be turned into reliable electricity.
Our second explored financing and future opportunities for geothermal in Africa. More recently, we compared different national approaches in places like Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, showing how each country is tackling the challenge of harnessing heat beneath the Rift.
Today, we shift focus to the human side of geothermal: the communities who live right where the wells are drilled and the steam is harnessed. Because while geothermal may be a technological marvel, it’s also deeply social.
POWER AND PEOPLE IN THE RIFT VALLEY
Africa’s geothermal riches lie in the Great Rift Valley, stretching from Ethiopia down to Mozambique. But this is not empty land; it is home to farmers, pastoralists, and Indigenous groups who have deep connections to the land (World Bank, 2015).
In Kenya, the Olkaria geothermal fields overlap with Maasai ancestral territories. In Ethiopia, drilling sites in the Corbetti and Aluto fields are near farming communities. The Corbetti project has upgraded local access roads, improving mobility for nearby farmers and expanding access to markets (InfraCo Africa, 2024).
Located in the Sidama Region, one of Ethiopia’s key agricultural hubs, the infrastructure built around Corbetti also aims to support farming communities in accessing inputs, services, and trade routes. At the same time, however, concerns around land use, compensation, and how fairly benefits are shared remain serious risks that must be addressed.
THE PROMISE: JOBS, ACCESS, AND DEVELOPMENT
When managed well, geothermal projects can be powerful drivers of local development. Construction and operation create jobs, not just for engineers, but also for technicians, drivers, and service providers.
In Olkaria, Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has employed hundreds of locals, while community projects like schools and health centers have been supported through corporate social responsibility programs (Kammen et al., 2015).
Another opportunity lies in direct use applications. Beyond electricity, geothermal heat can support greenhouses, fish farms, and milk pasteurization, directly benefiting surrounding communities (Lund & Boyd, 2016).
In Kenya’s Naivasha region, some flower farms already use geothermal heat to reduce costs and emissions. Done right, geothermal can therefore be more than power; it can be livelihood.
THE PITFALLS: DISPLACEMENT AND CONFLICT
DISPLACEMENT: But the risks are real. At Olkaria, several Maasai communities were resettled to make way for plant expansion. While compensation was offered, studies note that communities often felt inadequately consulted, and cultural ties to ancestral lands could not be replaced (Human Rights Watch, 2015).
FLEECING: In Ethiopia, concerns have been raised over land acquisition and whether revenues will trickle down to local residents. Without clear benefit-sharing frameworks, geothermal risks repeating the ‘resource curse’ dynamics seen in oil and gas, where local people see little benefit from extraction in their backyard (Makene, 2019).
DEPLETION: Environmental impacts, though lower than fossil fuels, must also be managed. Improper handling of geothermal fluids can contaminate water sources, and projects can strain scarce land and water resources that communities depend on.
TOWARDS INCLUSIVE GEOTHERMAL DEVELOPMENT
If geothermal is to power Africa’s future, it must do so inclusively. That means:
- Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC): Communities should have a real say in whether and how projects proceed.
- Benefit-sharing frameworks: From royalties to local development funds, a portion of geothermal revenues should directly support surrounding communities.
- Skills development: Training programs can ensure locals move beyond short-term construction jobs into long-term technical roles.
- Transparency in financing: Ensuring loans, grants, and revenues are used equitably to avoid debt traps that ultimately harm citizens.
The World Bank’s Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program and the African Union’s Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility have both stressed the importance of embedding community concerns in project planning (World Bank, 2020; African Union, 2021).
CONCLUSION: ENERGY FOR PEOPLE, NOT JUST GRIDS
Geothermal is a gift of the Rift, but it will only be a blessing if it serves both the grid and the people living beside it. Kenya’s experience shows both the opportunities and the risks: electricity, jobs, and innovation, but also displacement and conflict if inclusivity is overlooked.
As more countries, Djibouti, Tanzania, Rwanda, move forward with geothermal, the lesson is clear: development must walk hand in hand with justice. Beneath the Rift lies immense heat, but beside it live real people whose futures matter just as much.
REFRENCES
- African Union (2021). Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility (GRMF) for Eastern Africa. African Union Commission.
- Human Rights Watch (2015). There is No Time Left: Climate Change, Environmental Threats, and Human Rights in Kenya.
- InfraCo Africa. (2024). Corbetti – InfraCo Africa: project update. Retrieved from the InfraCo Africa website: “Access roads developed to date have greatly increased mobility in the vicinity of the project, helping people from the local community to get to schools and markets.
- Kammen, D., Kirubi, C., & Mugo, F. (2015). Kenya’s Power Sector: Generating Sustainable Power for Development. University of California, Berkeley.
- Lund, J. W., & Boyd, T. L. (2016). Direct utilization of geothermal energy 2015 worldwide review. Geothermics, 60, 66–93.
- Makene, F. (2019). Resource governance and community benefit sharing in East Africa. Policy Paper, UONGOZI Institute.
- World Bank (2015). Kenya – Electricity Expansion Project: Resettlement Implementation Report.
- World Bank (2020). Scaling Up Renewable Energy in Low-Income Countries Program (SREP): Investment Plans.
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