Kenya has taken another significant step on its path to achieving universal energy access by 2030. The government, in partnership with the European Union and the French Development Agency (AFD), recently switched on Phase 2 of its Green Mini-grid (GMG) Program in Turkana County.

Launched in 2016, the GMG program leveraged $17 million (EUR 15 million) in funding from the European Union and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to build renewable minigrids across Kenya.

Over the past decade, four energy developers — KUDURA Power East Africa, Renewvia Energy, PowerGen and Powerhive — have used those funds to build 80 minigrids across eight counties, delivering more than 2 MW of clean energy capacity to communities not served by the national grid.

All told, around 100,000 households will benefit from the solar and energy storage systems.

"This program is a powerful example of what can be achieved when national and county governments, development partners and private developers work towards a common goal,’ Henriette Geiger, EU Ambassador to Kenya, said in a statement.

The transforming power of electrification

Minigrid systems are typically constructed in remote areas that do not have access to a central grid. They use software to control distributed renewable energy resources like solar panels and battery storage, providing remote communities with reliable, clean and affordable power. Microgrids, on the other hand, are typically grid connected systems capable of disconnecting from the central grid during outages or for economic reasons.

Minigrids have been widely adopted across the continent as an efficient, cost-effective way to deliver power to underserved populations. The World Bank and the African Development Bank, for example, are funding microgrids as part of their effort to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.

Developers and other non-governmental organizations are also building minigrids, with successful projects having been completed in Uganda, Nigeria, Eritrea and Zambia, among others, in recent years. 

Clean energy minigrids deliver power to everything from small businesses to agricultural endeavors, spurring economic growth. Women-owned businesses, in particular, seem to benefit greatly minigrid-generated electricity.

The systems also power streetlights and medical facilities, improving community security and access to health care.

Roughly 20% of Kenyans, mostly those outside urban centers, lack reliable access to electricity. In 2013, that number was 37%. The marked improvement can largely be attributed to widespread adoption of off-grid solar and minigrids, including projects funded by the GMG program. Phase 1 was completed in 2021.

During Phase 2, KUDURA Power East Africa and Renewvia Energy established 27 minigrids and 7,000 new connections in Turkana County.

Located along the country’s northwestern border in the Northern Rift region, Turkana is Kenya’s largest county by land area, but it is also one of the least electrified. Only 9% of its households are connected to the grid, according to the AFD.

Around 35,000 people will benefit from the Turkana minigrids.

“The successful completion of this project highlights the transformative role of renewable energy in improving livelihoods, strengthening local economies, and building a more sustainable future,” said Anne-Gaël Chapuis, Kenya Country Director for AFD.