How solar power is transforming rural communities in Kenya

In Kenya, off-grid solar power is a game changer in rural parts of the country where main electricity transmission lines are yet to reach.
Across rural homes, locals are tapping sun energy provide clean drinking water without the high costs of diesel pumps that often worsen air pollution.
Solar power is also being used in clinics, improving medical care, including providing services during the day and emergency treatment at night.

Kenya has made significant progress in driving the adoption of solar power as part of a broad strategy to enhance the country’s switch to green energy. The East African country is equally banking on solar power use to achieve an ambitious target of electricity for all by 2030.

In Africa, Kenya leads in exploiting renewable energy sources to provide the electricity required to complement the realization of Vision 2030—accelerating transformation of the country into a rapidly industrializing middle—income nation by 2030.

The country’s energy mix predominantly consists of green energy with geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar power accounting for 84.7 per cent, according to data by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA). Thermal and imports account for 10.5 per cent and 4.85 per cent of the total energy mix, respectively.

With access to electricity or rather connectivity at above 76 per cent, the government is keen to have every household have access to power in the medium-term, with an ambitious plan to fully transition to 100 per cent clean power generation by 2030.

Kenya increased power connection to homes by over 774,000 consumers from 8,919,584 homes in 2022 to 9,693,954 currently. At the same time, power generation increased by over 240 Megawatts from 3,076 Megawatts in 2022 to 3,243 megawatts in 2024, official data shows, representing a 5.4 per cent increase.

Away from the main grid, off-grid solar power is proving to be a game changer especially in rural parts of the country where official transmission lines are yet to reach even as the government pushes on with its last mile connectivity programme.

Solar power has improved the lives of people in rural Kenya in many ways, including clean water where pumps tapping sun energy provide clean drinking water without the high costs of diesel that often worsen air pollution. On lighting, solar lamps provide lighting and eliminate health hazards.

There is also economic empowerment where solar systems for farmers, including lamps and chargers, are helping producers in rural areas become economically independent. Farmers are also using solar-powered pumps for irrigation, which has improved yields.

Kenya’s green energy potential makes solar powered irrigation pumps, combined with low-pressure drip systems, an attractive technology that can drastically improve crop yields, productivity and farmer income while avoiding massive amounts of GHG emissions.

Solar installation capacity was estimated at 169.2MW by 2023. Over the past decade, the country’s energy sector has experienced growth in installations, market expansion, and government support.

Solar power a game changer in irrigation

Galgalo Guyo, a farmer from Isiolo is one of those who are using solar-powered irrigation which has helped him create an oasis in the arid and semi-arid area located in the upper eastern region of Kenya, 285 kilometers north of the capital Nairobi.

“For decades, we have always depended on pastoralism but it is evident that we can produce food crops both for consumption and commercial purposes,” Guyo who now farms watermelons and tomatoes says.

His farming activities together with others is what inspired the county government in partnership with USAID and ACDI/COVA to consider the implementation of the Isiolo multi-food processing unit.

This comprises two processing facilities, one for processing tomatoes into sauce, and another a pack house facility for packaging fresh papaya (pawpaw) . “The unit’s product will be packaged and sold in the local market. The aim is to add value and give better incomes to the Isiolo farmers. The proposed plant will curb wastage, reduce the import of food and give a fillip to the county’s food exports,” an update report by the county government explains.

In Matanomane village, Kilifi County, Moses Baya, 45, has been one of the early adopters of solar technology. In 2005, he purchased solar panels to light his home, allowing his children to do their homework and study at night.

“This really improved their performance in school. Before solar power, they would trek long distance and by the time they are home it is already dark and unable to comfortably study,” he noted.

Communities in semi-arid Northern Kenya are increasingly adopting off-grid solar solutions as their primary power source, contributing to Kenya’s goal of achieving 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

With climate change often leading to severe and unpredictable challenges, such as droughts and floods, which threaten lives and livelihoods, solar energy, a key source of clean energy, is playing a vital role in mitigating these climate impacts.

Solar power in healthcare centres

Solar power is also being used in clinics, improving medical care, including the ability to provide services during the day and emergency treatment at night. Solar has helped reduce rural poverty by providing reliable electricity, promoting education, and enabling economic activities.

Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has since said the government is fast-tracking an ambitious effort to ensure that all Kenyans are connected to power by 2030.

Wandayi observed that the global call for a green energy revolution comes at a time when Kenya is stepping up its efforts to catch up with developed countries in ensuring 100 per cent green energy by 2030.

“On the sidelines of COP29, Kenya hosted the Powerelec Kenya 2024 conference—a three-day African Solar Energy Conference focused on renewable energy storage and electrical industries. The event attracted regional and international stakeholders from the energy sector,” Wandayi stated.

He added that currently, 90 per cent of the country’s energy is sourced from renewables, with 45 per cent from geothermal, 19 per cent from hydropower, 17 per cent from solar, and three per cent from wind. The country’s energy mix serves as a model for integrating variable renewables and enhancing grid flexibility.

The Kenyan government offers incentives for the adoption of solar power including tax breaks, making solar installations more affordable.

In 2024, leveraging these solar incentives could significantly reduce energy costs and provide a fast return on investment, according to PowerPoint Systems (EA) Limited, a Kenya-based energy company that offers reliable energy solutions, including solar, power backup, and power-control systems.

“Transitioning to solar energy is one of the smartest decisions you can make. With Kenya’s abundant sunlight, solar power is not just a global trend, it is a highly practical solution tailored to Kenya’s unique energy needs,” the firm noted.

Kenya’s transition to green energy future

The Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), the country’s biggest power producer, has unveiled a 10-year strategy aimed at spearheading the country’s transition to a sustainable and green energy future. The 2024-2034 G2G plan focuses on expanding geothermal, wind, and solar power investments.

“KenGen’s G2G Strategy sets a clear and actionable path for the future of Kenya’s energy sector. As we pursue the goal of 100 per cent renewable energy, the government will continue to support KenGen’s efforts to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable power to all Kenyans,” CS Wandayi said during the strategy launch on October 17.

Kenya has also received financial backing from the World Bank to enhance the adoption of solar energy under the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP). This is a flagship project of the Ministry of Energy aimed at providing electricity and clean cooking solutions in the remote, low density, and traditionally underserved areas of the country.

The Results-Based Financing and Debt Facilities have been established under Component Two of the Project to provide incentives to private sector companies to establish operations and sell solar and clean cooking solutions in the project areas.

Under this component, the project aims to deliver 250,000 stand-alone solar home systems and higher-tier clean cooking solutions to 150,000 households. SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, in partnership with SunFunder In. are the facilities managers.

There are three facilities available for access by private companies namely results-based financing facility for solar service providers – $12 million, debt facility for solar service providers ($30 million) and clean cooking solutions challenge results-based financing facility of $6 million.

The RBF and Debt Facilities (Component 2 of KOSAP) complement three other KOSAP components.

Mini-grids for Community Facilities, Enterprises and Households (Component 1), Stand-alone Solar Systems and Solar Water Pumps for Community Facilities (Component 3) and Implementation Support and Capacity Building (Component 4).

Kenya Power and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) are the implementing agencies, respectively, for Components one and three. Kenya’s President William Ruto in June this year called for more investments in Africa’s renewable energy which he noted was still underfunded.

He said though it was encouraging that 2023 recorded the largest increase in renewable energy capacity, with the addition of about 500 gigawatts globally and new investments worth $600 billion, Africa fared badly.

Ruto noted that Africa possesses the highest untapped potential of renewable energy reserves in the world but had only managed three gigawatts of the global increase. “The continent with the world’s greatest potential and the highest demand currently accounts for a paltry 1.6 per cent of the world’s total renewable energy capacity,” he said.

He pointed out that Africa offers huge opportunities for wealthy investors from the Global North in clean energy, offering a win-win outcome for them and the continent. “African leaders endorsed the Nairobi Declaration, which set the continent’s green power generation target at a five-fold increase from 56GW in 2022 to at least 300 GW by 2030,” he said.

President Ruto spoke during a High-Level Business Segment on Climate Change Response and Transition to Carbon-Free Energy in Seoul, South Korea. He urged Korea and Korean investors to continue supporting Kenya in clean energy adoption as the country pursues the ambitious plan to enhance the current grid from 3GW to 100GW by 2040.

“The ambition is realistic because Kenya is endowed with abundant potential in every type of renewable energy,” Ruto said.