Lamu County has faced persistent and unpredictable electricity outages that have disrupted livelihoods, essential services, and overall socio-economic development. In response, Lamu County Department of Water and Energy has turned to solar energy as a practical and sustainable solution to keep critical systems running.
For many years, Lamu residents have struggled with prolonged blackouts lasting several hours or even days. These outages severely affected:
- Small businesses, which could not refrigerate perishable goods. Traders reported ongoing losses and unaffordable electricity bills when power was restored.
- Fishermen, who depend on cold storage to preserve their catch. Without electricity, fresh fish spoiled within hours, leading to substantial income losses
- Households and schoolchildren, who were forced to rely on kerosene lamps for lighting, resulting in health risks and increased costs raising concerns about the children’s ability to study at night.
- Essential services, particularly water supply and public safety, which struggled without steady power.
The severity of the blackouts had escalated to a point where Lamu County could no longer rely on the national grid as its primary power source. This underscored the need for alternative energy to ensure continuity of critical services.
Lamu County Department of Water and Energy adopted a comprehensive renewable energy strategy centred on solar power.
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