Empowering cold chain innovators in Kenya
Energy Saving Trust, co-secretariat of Efficiency for Access, has awarded five cold chain companies funding to help them test business models and scale access to sustainable cooling for smallholder food producers across Kenya.
Agriculture is central to Kenya’s economy, accounting for 31.5% of GDP and employing 38% of the population. However, the country faces up to 40% post-harvest losses due to fragmented cold chain infrastructure, high upfront costs, limited market access and policy support. These challenges threaten food security in Kenya and prevent smallholder farmers from accessing profitable markets.
The Kenya Cold Chain Accelerator (KCCA) is taking a holistic approach to enhance the cold chain ecosystem in Kenya. Alongside providing funding, KCCA is working to improve companies’ commercial readiness through customised technical assistance, research, and workforce and skills support. The initiative is also engaging government, investors, and development partners to enhance cross-sector dialogue and strengthen the enabling environment for cold chain in Kenya.
Through this funding, five companies—Kuza Coolers, Agrotech Plus, Keep IT Cool, Savanna Circuit, and Chill Zone — will deploy solar-powered cold chain to help strengthen producers’ livelihoods and avoid food waste. Kuza Coolers will establish a large solar-powered fish aggregation hub in Homa Bay, while Agrotech Plus expands its Sun4Fresh network with modular cold rooms into Machakos and Meru counties. Keep It Cool will scale solar-powered cold storage in Lake Turkana to support fishers and poultry farmers, and Savanna Circuit will expand its SOLAR THRIVE initiative for dairy and fisheries using portable chillers and digital tools. Chill Zone will build an integrated cold chain and processing hub for horticultural crops, reducing waste and creating new market opportunities.
Christopher Beland, Technical Programme Manager, Energy Saving Trust, said, “Cold chain is essential for strengthening food systems and promoting climate resilience in Kenya. What makes the KCCA unique is the tailored package of support for companies and ecosystem approach, which is positioned to drive systemic change. Our assistance will enable these innovators to help foster inclusive agricultural growth in Kenya over the long term.”
KCCA is managed by Energy Saving Trust, co-Secretariat of Efficiency for Access, in partnership with Energy 4 Impact, Mercy Corps’ clean energy innovation platform, and GOGLA. It is funded by the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform and the IKEA Foundation.