Kenya Power announces Ksh6.45B plan to deploy solar mini-grids to 8 counties

Kenya Power has unveiled plans to invest Ksh6.45 billion in deploying 80 solar mini-grids across eight counties, aiming to provide electricity to 34,000 households in underserved areas. The initiative, part of the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP), is currently underway in Tana River County. Principal Secretary for the State Department for Energy, Alex Wachira, inspected a site in Nanighi, Bura Subcounty, where one of the mini-grids will be installed.

The Nanighi project is one of five in the county, backed by a Ksh270 million investment, and is scheduled to benefit 1,353 households. The project statement emphasizes the broader impact, stating that it aims to illuminate homes, power rural clinics, extend business hours, and stimulate local economies. Nationally, the Ksh6.45 billion initiative will see the deployment of mini-grids in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Lamu, Narok, Kilifi, and Kwale counties.

KOSAP, funded by the World Bank and executed by Kenya Power and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), employs various off-grid solutions such as solar mini-grids, standalone solar home systems, solar water pumps, and clean cooking technologies. The significance of this investment extends beyond the number of households connected, as it seeks to enhance essential services and provide rural businesses with extended operating hours, thereby improving access to modern energy for the community.