Critics argue that the local ownership clause in the 2022 Startup Bill, which now awaits President William Ruto’s assent, risks excluding startups with foreign founders or investors, a key segment of Kenya’s entrepreneurial growth.

Initially, the solar energy systems were deployed to provide water and lighting for community and government institutions. Following successful implementation, the initiative has now been expanded to support small businesses, including barbershops, salons, milling stores, electronic charging stations and mechanical workshops.

There are stark regional disparities in electricity access, with counties some counties at 95%, while arid and semi-arid regions lag far behind. Nationally, 58.1% of households are connected to the electricity grid, but rural areas face significant barriers, with only 37.3% having access compared to 91.0% in urban areas.

Archie Yang, head of Bluetti’s LAAF program said that they are empowering off-grid communities to improve education, business, and quality of life with clean, renewable energy. Kenya Red Cross said that they have distributed the solar systems to communities in Baringo North, Baringo South, and Tiaty East & West.

Qtron Industries, established in 2016, specializes in repairing and recycling batteries for vehicles and motorcycles. The company ventured into EV battery recycling to address the growing issue of discarded batteries littering Kenya’s landfills.