- After three months of successful testing, Kiambu procured over 6,000 solar streetlights.
- The Kenya Urban Support Programme and the Kenya Informal Sectors Programme are supporting the streetlights programme.
The Kiambu government has disclosed that it will begin the installation of solar streetlights to cut electricity bills that cost up to Sh1 billion annually.
The governor of Kiambu, Kimani Wamatangi, said the county will become the first to embrace renewable energy by 2030 fully. This aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 7 on affordable and clean energy.
According to him, his administration has been paying Sh1 billion monthly on electricity bills. It has issued a directive prohibiting new installations of electricity-powered streetlights and ordered replacement of existing ones.
In addition, the county plans to install only solar streetlights moving forward. The governor has directed the gradual installation of solar power in hospitals, administrative buildings, and water projects.
After three months of successful testing, Kiambu has procured over 6,000 solar lights. Starting this June 2024, the government will install streetlights in various parts of the county, including informal settlements.
The Kenya Urban Support Programme and the Kenya Informal Sectors Programme are supporting the streetlights programme.
During a meeting in Gatong’ora ward, Ruiru, Wamatangi said, “Besides occasional disruptions caused by power outages and disconnections, resulting from unpaid bills and low voltages, we have been spending more than Sh1 billion on electricity annually.
“We are now shifting to solar-powered streetlights to cut costs and as a way of embracing green energy.”