NAIROBI, Kenya- Kiambu County Government says it has installed more than 18,000 solar streetlights over the past four years as part of a push to cut electricity and maintenance costs.
Governor Kimani Wamatangi said the solarisation programme is helping the county reduce its dependence on grid-connected streetlights, which previously consumed a significant share of the county’s annual electricity budget.
According to the Governor, Kiambu was spending more than Sh700 million annually on electricity bills before the shift to solar power.
Of that amount, about Sh300 million went towards electricity for streetlights and their maintenance.
“Solar streetlights have lower installation and maintenance costs because they do not incur monthly electricity bills,” Governor Wamatangi said.
The rollout is part of the county’s wider Angaza Kiambu programme, which has focused on expanding lighting in towns, trading centres, roads and residential areas.
Cutting recurrent power costs
The transition to solar lighting is intended to reduce recurrent expenditure by replacing lights connected to the national grid with units powered by solar panels and batteries.
Unlike conventional grid-connected lighting, solar streetlights do not attract monthly electricity charges.
The county administration says this makes them cheaper to operate over time and allows funds that would have been used to settle power bills to be redirected to other development priorities.
Governor Wamatangi said the programme has also lowered maintenance costs associated with conventional streetlights.
The county has previously identified high electricity bills as a major burden on its budget, particularly for public lighting, health facilities, offices, fire stations and other county-run infrastructure.
Kiambu’s solarisation strategy has included plans to transition not only streetlights but also selected county facilities from grid power to renewable energy.
The governor did not provide an updated figure for the county’s current annual streetlighting bill or the total savings realised since the solar rollout began.
Lighting, security and business activity
Beyond cost savings, the county has linked the streetlighting programme to improved safety and longer operating hours for businesses in illuminated areas.
The administration says more public lighting has helped open up trading centres and neighbourhoods after dark, while improving visibility along roads and public spaces.
The 18,000 solar streetlights installed so far represent one of the county’s largest renewable-energy infrastructure rollouts.
Governor Wamatangi said the county will continue prioritising solar-powered infrastructure as it seeks to manage rising energy costs and expand access to public lighting across Kiambu.
The programme comes as counties face growing pressure to control recurrent expenditure and adopt cost-efficient solutions that can free up resources for health, roads, water and other essential services.
