Syovata Ndambuki

In March 2025, EDGE announced that Kenya surpassed 1 million square metres in EDGE- certified green buildings. These numbers indicate rapid growth in sustainable architecture, compared to 2020 when only 0.1 million square metres of floor space was certified in Kenya. Green buildings in Kenya and sustainability practices have gained momentum over the last few years.  

For developers, understanding this shift is crucial for staying competitive in a constantly evolving market. This article provides an overview of the green buildings’ sector in Kenya, exploring its current state, opportunities, statistics, challenges, and the evolving policy environment.

Table of Contents

What is Green Building?

Green Building can refer to the practice of constructing in an environmentally responsible, resource efficient manner that prioritizes sustainable outcomes in construction. A green building is a structure designed to be resource efficient in its entire life cycle. 

Popular attributes of a green building include energy efficiency by use of renewable energy or power saving fixtures and designs, water efficiency, improved indoor air quality and efficient embodied energy of construction materials. Embodied energy refers to all the energy used by construction materials throughout a building’s life cycle, from manufacturing to construction and long-term use. 

The Current State: Numbers and Market Demand

Examples of green buildings in Kenya include Garden City – a mixed use development, Purple Tower – Corporate Office Space, Britain Tower- Corporate Office space and Strathmore Business School an education institution. A big percentage of green buildings in Kenya are in commercial real estate although residential properties are slowly catching up. 

• Number of Green Buildings in Kenya: According to the Kenya Green Building Society, there are 147 registered or certified green buildings in Kenya, as of 2025. This number has been on an upward trend and has more than tripled over the last three years. 
• Certified Buildings: While the exact number of certified green buildings in Kenya is not clear, EDGE announced that Kenya surpassed 1 million square metres of EDGE-certified buildings in March, 2025.

• Market Demand: Increasing awareness of environmental issues is driving up demand for sustainable properties. In commercial real estate (CRE), multinational tenants have been at the forefront in demanding green building features, especially in corporate office space. More organizations are also incorporating sustainability policies and factors such as employee productivity and energy efficiency during everyday operations are pushing organizations to rethink the kind of spaces they rent. In the residential sector, green buildings and sustainability features are in higher demand within the luxury real estate market segment. Tenants and buyers are seeking reduced operational costs, healthier living/working environments, and a positive brand image associated with green buildings. 

Kenya Surpasses 1 million SQM in Certifications

In March, 2025, EDGE a global Green Building Certification body announced on its social media pages that Kenya marked an important milestone by reaching 1 million square metres in EDGE- certified buildings. The post read;

“Country Spotlight: Kenya Reaches 1 Million Square Meters of EDGE-Certified Green Buildings! 🌱

Kenya has just surpassed a major milestone, achieving over one million square meters of EDGE certified #greenbuilding floor space. This achievement is a testament to Kenya’s commitment to sustainable development and positions it as a leader in green building practices across East Africa.

🔋 Environmental Impact:

Kenya’s EDGE buildings are preventing approximately 23,300 tons of CO₂ emissions annually, significantly reducing the nation’s carbon footprint” end of quote.

EDGE is one of the leading certification bodies, certififying buildings in Kenya, although developers in Kenya have sought other certifications. This could only mean, the total square footage of certified buildings is more than 1 million. Edge further notes that this number cuts across a variety of building types. In addition, Kenya’s committment to sustainable construction places ahead regionally.

Residential vs. Commercial Green Buildings

Notably, tracking residential green buildings in Kenya may be a difficult task due to the industry’s nature. Most Kenyans build their homes privately, making it difficult to track those that use green building practices. In addition, residental real estate developers have not faced the pressure to seek green building certifications, unlike commercial developers who are pressure by tenants.

• Commercial: Commercial buildings, particularly office spaces and retail centers, are leading the way in green building adoption. Factors such as corporate sustainability goals, tenant demand, and potential for significant cost savings are driving this trend.
• Residential: While residential green building is growing, it lags behind the commercial sector. However, demand for green residential properties is increasing, driven by factors such as reduced utility bills and demand for healthier living spaces, especially after the pandemic.   As of 2023, out of more than 100 registered or certified green buildings in Kenya, only 2 were in the residential category.

Kenya’s Policies on Green Building

The shift to decarbonizing the construction industry has mostly been led by the private sector. Although the Kenyan government has tried to provide guidance and regulation through policies and legal notices, compliance is a challenge.

In 2012 for instance, the Ministry if Energy introduced the Energy (Solar Water Heating) Regulations, 2012. This legal notice required all buildings with buildings with water heating requirements exceeding 100 litres per day to install solar heating systems. Even with a five year grace period, compliance has been unimpressive.

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In February, 2025, the State Department for Energy launched the National Energy Policy 2025 – 2034. Although the policy does not entirely focus on the built environment, the policy drafters acknowledge that sustainability cuts across multiple sectors including construction. Some of the notable policies include:

• Improving indoor air quality in residential buildings: There is a special focus on residential buildings and when it comes to energy efficiency, the policy lays emphasis on improving indoor air quality through use of clean energy. One of the key highlights touching on residential buildings includes, review building guidelines and codes to enable construction and retrofitting of buildings to create clean cooking environments and reduce indoor air pollution. 
• Energy audits in public buildings: The policy also aims to review the existing building codes to include LPG reticulation for enhanced access. But a more noteworthy approach is the commitment to enhance implementation of energy efficiency and conservation programs in key economic sectors. One of the expected outcomes is to increase the number of energy audits conducted in designated facilities and public buildings. 

With private commercial real estate players demonstrating efficiency in green building, the government will play a big role in bridging the gap between residential, commercial and public buildings. 

Alternative Energy in Residential Properties

The National energy policy emphasizes on the use of alternative green energy. The policy notes that Kenya has an opportunity to introduce green energy to 75% of the population.

“With over 25% of the population still lacking electricity access, particularly in rural areas, it is crucial that we expand our energy infrastructure and leverage renewable energy resources, including solar, wind, geothermal, and bioenergy, to provide reliable and affordable energy to all corners of the country,” reads a part of the policy.

100 litres

The Energy (Solar Water Heating) Regulations, 2012 were introduced in 2012. It requires buildings with water heating requirements exceeding 100 litres per day to install solar heating systems

Renewable energy is a crucial part of the green moving movement as it significantly improved energy efficiency in buildings. Developers have particularly invested in solar energy, althought the numbers are still very low, considering the availability of the resource.

Residential developers in Kenya are increasingly incorporating different solar energy infrastructure in projects. This is according to the Real Estate Survey Report, released in January 2025, by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. 5.3% of surveyed residential buildings for sale had solar water heating systems. 3.4 of the buildings had solar security lighting while 3.33 had solar lighting. However, it is important to note, these three amenities were the least common in residential buildings. Backup generators for instance, were more common in 55% of the surveyed buildings.

Data Source: KNBS Real Estate Survey Report, 2025

Challenges Affecting Green Buildings in Kenya

Despite the opportunities, developers face several challenges:

• High Initial Costs: The cost of construction in Kenya is relatively high compared to buyer purchasing power and tenants’ financial muscle. Green building materials and technologies can be more expensive than traditional options. This cost factor increases the risk for developers. 
• Limited Availability of Green Materials: The supply chain for building materials is dependent on the global market. Besides walling materials, Kenya lacks a self sustaining local supply chain. As such, the supply chain for sustainable materials is still developing. One critical gap is the lack of data on specific alternative materials, making it difficult for developers to truly determine their sustainability index. 
• Awareness and Education: There is a need for greater awareness and education among developers, contractors, and consumers about the benefits of green building.

Green Building Certification

Green building certifications provide independent verification of a property’s sustainability performance. Although it is not clear how many buildings are certified in Kenya, as noted above the square footage has surpassed a million. As of 2020, 0.1 million square metres of floor space was certified in Kenya. Clearly, Kenya is rapidly adopting green building technologies.

Key certifications in Kenya include:  

• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design): A globally recognized certification body.
• EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies): Focuses on resource efficiency and affordability.
• Green Star Kenya: Established in 2017 and more relevant in Kenya;s built environment.  
• Safari Green Building tool:Launched by the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK). The tool assesses construction projects to establish their environmental performance.

The Future of Green Building in Kenya

Considering the rapid adoption of green building practices between 2020 and now, we can only conclude the future is bright. The demand for green buildings will only increase, and energy or water efficient features in buildings will become the norm. It is prudent for future centric developers to get on board now in order to stay competitive.