The World Bank and Ministry of Kenya initiative to solar generated power to 1.3 million households is receiving broad support and moving forward. The initiative, Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP), will target marginalized areas that are not yet fully connected to the national power grid.
The KOSAP project will be implemented over a period of four years and will be supported by the World Bank’s International Development Agency (IDA). The Ministry of Energy, will develop 121 mini-grid sites that will be used in the distribution of the electricity generated by solar power.
Among the areas to benefit from the project are Garissa, Isiolo, Kwale, Lamu, Kilifi, Mandera, Marsabit, Narok, Samburu, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Turkana, Wajir and West Pokot.
“Due to the project’s wide positive social and economic impact, it has broad support notably from the governors of the 14 target counties, Kenya Power which is providing mini-grids, the Rural Electrification Authority which is providing solar-powered solutions, and SNV, a Netherlands-based company which is our program’s results-based financing partner,” reads a statement from Energy ministry.
The project will also result in the installation of 380 solar water pumping systems and 150,000 solar powered cook stoves.