The advent of solar-powered pumps and lamps has transformed rural life in Kenya, providing clean drinking water and light while eliminating inconveniences, health risks and daily habits that contribute to climate change. Private companies are supporting government investments in clean energy to bring about real change, especially for those most in need.

Victor Blee

Jane Akinyi, a resident of Nyadiva village in Homabe County, told us: “I just want to say thank you god for remembering us and for the people who came here to carry out and finish this water project.” The village is not far from the world’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Victoria, in western Kenya, just off Uganda, but for decades residents have had no access to clean drinking water.

“Women have to walk several kilometers to get water from the river, and there are not many places in this area,” akini said. “You have to wait in long lines all day long. That means there is no one to take care of the house, which leads to other problems.”

Recently, five solar-powered water pumps were put into use in the area, making those difficulties a thing of the past. The new water project, which opened on 11 February 2019, currently serves 700 households in seven villages, providing clean water for daily drinking and cooking, and protecting the catchment areas around the Ranguey and Riana rivers. Enyadiwa’s pump can produce 3, 000 litres of water per hour, generating 2.2 kilowatts of power, and is equipped with 5 kilowatts of solar cells to ensure it can operate even in low sunlight.

Previously, people living in the Langwe region had to boil water to avoid waterborne diseases such as cholera. This is all the more essential if pipes burst and clean water is polluted by raw water. Firewood is used to boil water, and burst pipes mean people have to draw water from catchment areas, both exacerbating climate change. In response, the Kenya Red Cross (KRCS) and local councillors intervened to reopen a water project that had been running for years. The concept for the project, which began in 1979 and advocates diesel power, is still stuck.

Removal of pollution

The new project, which is being managed by the Kenya Red Cross, re-protected the existing springs, erected fences, designed new water catchments and installed solar-powered pumps. Using solar energy instead of diesel, the project not only saves the local community the high cost of using petroleum products, but also ensures a steady supply of clean energy and avoids the air pollution caused by diesel.

For example, Solibrium, a solar power company, recruited nearly 200 people from women’s groups to actively market solar products in The Kenyan counties of Kakamega, Busia, Bangoma, Homabbe, Tetataweta and Kilifi.

While providing climate-friendly energy to poor communities, the private sector also sees huge business opportunities in solar products. So, in addition to the Kenyan government’s investment, the private sector (both corporate and non-profit) has also been committed to promoting solar energy. Some brick-and-mortar companies have used heavily subsidized prices, social marketing and loan programs to promote the use of solar systems across the country.

A network for women

Solibrium is a local company in Kenya that provides affordable solar products to the public. Companies sell solar panels, solar systems and solar lamps to communities through women’s groups, offering residents loans or subsidized prices. Residents can buy solar systems in installments. Those who pay up will be rewarded, and some existing users will have the opportunity to be appointed as sales representatives to bring in more customers.

Solibrium is targeting women in rural communities along Kenya’s coast and west, and so far has installed solar systems in more than 50,000 homes in six counties. The company is part of Eco2librium, a certified B corp (a new type of business that combines purpose with profit) with offices in the US and Kenya.

Solar lighting has transformed community life. Anton Espira, the company’s founder and head of operations, said: “The solar system reduces health problems and air pollution caused by the use of diesel engines in communities. For example, the installation of generators at pumping stations and hospitals has led to the use of solar lamps rather than kerosene lamps, which were expensive and bad for eyesight. Solar energy eliminates the need for charcoal and thus reduces the destruction of forests. The electricity also makes it easy to do homework after sunset.”

Benefit small landowners

John Ohaga of the One Acre Foundation, an international nonprofit organization active in East Africa, points out that solar power systems, including lighting fixtures and chargers, play an important role in economic empowerment in the farming communities where the foundation works: “With these lamps, some farmers can work late into the night and keep farming. They can charge their mobile phones to take full advantage of online payment platforms, and they can continue to do farm work after dark with a flashlight.”

The One Acre Foundation is a non-profit social organization that helps small landowners across Africa, providing farmers with additional services such as solar lamps and phone chargers in addition to their food security efforts. To cope with the unpredictable seasonal changes caused by Kenya’s climate, farmers are increasingly using solar-powered irrigation systems. Irrigated agriculture and stable agricultural yields were once the preserve of the rich, but now things are starting to favour poor farmers who previously could not afford to buy crops and land. Better harvests also mean food security for these farmers.