The high cost of keeping Kenya’s streetlights on
Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi (in a white dust coat) switches on solar-powered streetlights at Athena in Thika Township Ward, Thika Sub-county, on December 18, 2024, to mark the official launch of the installation of 12,000 solar streetlights in the county.
Following concerns raised by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu over counties incurring high electricity bills from national grid-powered streetlights, county governments are increasingly adopting solar streetlights to cut costs.
Counties continue to face unsustainable monthly electricity bills ranging between Sh80 million and Sh170 million, leading to disputes with Kenya Power over unpaid amounts totalling billions of shillings.
These disputes have occasionally resulted in power disconnections at critical county institutions, including hospitals, as Kenya Power seeks to recover the outstanding payments.
Kiambu County has installed 12,000 solar streetlights across towns, shopping centres, roads and rural areas in all 60 wards.
A second phase, which will add another 12,000 lights, is currently underway through the county’s “Angaza Kiambu” programme.
Governor Kimani Wamatangi said the county had halted the installation of new national grid-powered streetlights in a bid to reduce maintenance costs. Previously, street lighting alone cost the county Sh250 million annually in electricity bills, with an additional Sh50 million spent on maintenance.
“We aim to transition the county to renewable energy, conserving funds otherwise used for electricity bills while supporting climate change mitigation and Sustainable Development Goal 7 on clean and affordable energy,” said Mr Wamatangi.
This approach aligns with recommendations made during the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa, held in Nairobi in September 2023 and officially opened by President William Ruto.
Mr Wamatangi noted that the financial burden of electricity bills is unsustainable and diverts resources from critical services such as the supply of drugs and construction of key facilities.
He added that solarisation has been extended to county water projects, with all new boreholes now equipped with solar power systems, while existing projects are being converted to reduce operational costs.
Additionally, sections of public hospitals are being solarised, and plans are underway to transition county administrative offices, markets, and Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres to solar energy.
Historically, Kiambu has faced electricity bills totalling nearly Sh1 billion annually, often leading to service disruptions due to disconnections over unpaid bills.
National government agencies such as the Rural Electrification Authority, Kenya Power and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority often install grid-powered streetlights at the request of Members of Parliament, leaving counties to shoulder the costs of electricity and maintenance.
According toTransport executive Engineer Newton Itobi, Kiambu has 19,621 grid-connected streetlights, resulting in annual electricity and maintenance costs exceeding Sh260 million, alongside an additional Sh50 million for routine maintenance.
County facilities also incur significant electricity costs annually, with hospitals spending over Sh700 million, water companies about Sh200 million, and offices and fire stations approximately Sh700 million combined.
“Once installed, solar power systems eliminate monthly electricity bills since they generate free energy from the sun. Maintenance costs are also much lower because solar systems have fewer components requiring servicing,” said Mr Itobi.
He added that solar streetlights have a lifespan of up to 10 years, compared to grid-connected lights, which typically last five years or less. They are also less prone to vandalism and can be installed in rural areas without access to the national grid.
Makueni County, under Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr, has also launched an ambitious energy policy aimed at providing clean, affordable, and reliable power to homes, schools, health centres, and businesses across its six sub-counties.
The governor recently commissioned a solarisation project at Makueni County Referral Hospital. The system, with a peak capacity of 200 kilowatts, is expected to save the facility approximately Sh7 million annually in electricity costs.
Other counties, including Nairobi, Nakuru, Murang’a and Samburu have also announced plans to transition to solar energy, focusing on streetlights, hospitals, water projects, and ECDE centres.
The Office of the Auditor General has already flagged Nyeri County for spending approximately Sh100 million on grid-powered streetlights in the last financial year, warning that this could lead to unsustainable electricity bills.
In her 2023–2024 audit report, Ms Gathungu noted that the administration led by Governor Mutahi Kahiga procured contractors to install electricity-powered streetlights at a total cost of Sh104 million.
“Review of bills of quantities showed that management continued to install electricity-powered panels. In these circumstances, the county may not be able to sustain the high electricity bills in future, potentially leading to disconnections,” the report stated.
She further questioned why the county continued installing grid-powered lights despite already spending Sh76.7 million on electricity for existing streetlights during the same financial year.
Meanwhile, President William Ruto has announced a Sh45 billion programme to solarise 3,200 public schools nationwide, in partnership with Kenya Commercial Bank.
The project, launched at Alliance High School, is expected to generate up to 780 megawatts of electricity, boosting Kenya’s renewable energy capacity while reducing operational costs for schools.
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