Sh500 Million Released by Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project to 19 Private Companies

Posted on : Thursday , 29th October 2020

Residents of off-grid areas in Kenya are intended to benefit from the sale of quality solar and clean cooking products following the release of Sh500 million from the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP) to 19 companies to facilitate the sale of their products in these counties.

The released funds have provided the companies with the necessary facilitation to move into the counties to set up sales and after-sales infrastructure for standalone solar systems and modern cookstoves, under the Sh15 billion Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP). A total of 10 vendors have been chosen for standalone solar systems and 9 for clean cooking component, after a competitive evaluation process.

The companies are contracted under the second component of KOSAP, where Results Based Financing (RBF) and Debt Facilities have been set, aimed at spurring private sector actors to invest in modern solar solutions and providing clean cooking solutions in counties that are not served by the national electricity grid. KOSAP is extending financing to the selected companies as part of the government efforts to accomplish universal access to electricity by 2022 and universal access to clean cooking by 2028, as per the Kenya National Electrification Strategy and the Kenya Sustainable Energy for Action Agenda respectively. The Results Based Financing (RBF) and Debt Facilities are handled by SNV Netherlands Development Organization and SunFunder, on behalf of the Ministry of Energy.

Speaking about this development, Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter noted: "This is a major milestone for us at the Ministry and the Government of Kenya. This project will enable us to provide Stand-alone Solar Systems (SSS) and Clean Cooking Solutions (CCS) for households in 14 counties that are currently underserved by the national electricity grid, as a critical lever for obtaining inclusion, a higher standard of living for our citizens and overall socio-economic development."