Kenya has increased access to power from 32 per cent of households in 2013 to 75 per cent in 2022. The access rate in urban areas is 100 per cent and 65 per cent in rural areas under the project that was started by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013.

The solar powered freezer which was donated to test its viability in a resource strapped health facility has proven to be a game changer for the three health facilities. However, unused vaccines can only be stored in Kamboo and must be taken back to the facility within six hours.

Setting up the solar-and-Internet business, without much experience beyond what could be gleaned online from instruction videos, was a challenge, Tshilombo said. But once things were working, Tshilombo and others began studying online – from website design to computer science, graphic design and education – then looking for work.

There are two main goals for this project: Setting up a solar bakery unit that can serve as training grounds, as employment opportunity for some students and as a source of income to Don Bosco Kakuma. And installing several solar stove tops to sustainably and economically cook the daily meals served to the students.

The country is facing an acute shortage of trained technicians capable of installing and maintaining solar equipment. A report done by ToolKit estimates that the Country will need up to 30,000 trained solar technicians by 2025 a figure that the company opines may not be attained if the current numbers of youths trained in solar being churned out.

According to the Powering Jobs Census 2022: The Energy Access Workforce Kenya report, the country’s DRE sector which includes pico-solar appliances, solar home systems (SHS), and commercial and industrial (C&I) standalone systems, created over 48,000 jobs in 2021 which are projected to reach 58,000 in 2023.

Energy access is most needed in remote, rural areas and among poverty-stricken communities. This clean energy revolution can drive climate change adaptation and strengthen food security by reinforcing homegrown agriculture through improved irrigation, cold storage and deploying fuel-efficient technologies across food systems.

For instance, World Neighbors runs community-centered development projects in Kenya. This is some of what solar panels are doing to help initiate sustainable development among rural farming communities.

German start-up Boreal Light has delivered 28 solar-powered desalination systems to Kenya. The systems are intended for hospitals treating Covid-19 cases daily in the country’s coastal region, as well as Turkana and Nakuru counties.

The new facility located in Nairobi will act as a regional hub for the East Africa region and will serve all neighboring countries. The new facility aims to achieve faster delivery times to ensure reaching customers instantly and efficiently.