Excerpt and Photo from kenyanews.go.ke
Feverish excitement and anticipation greeted the inauguration of a Sh 350 million off grid solar power project by the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) in Mkwiro and Wasini remote islands in Kwale County.
The twin islands have never had electricity and the solar energy is hoped to transform the fortunes of the inhabitants that were hitherto dependent on diesel generators and kerosene lamps.
Frenzied excitement greeted the commissioning of the solar power plant as the remote islands blessed with plentiful sunshine said goodbye to polluting fossil fuels as they are now completely powered by solar energy.
Mkwiro and Wasini islands are among Kwale’s many remote and enchanting islands disconnected from the national electricity grid compelling its inhabitants to seek alternative ways of generating power.
The islands are a tropical haven with mangrove forests and green coral reefs as lush green vegetation and for discerning tourists these exclusive pristine sandy islands are ‘paradise on earth’.
It’s hoped the installation of the micro grid provides a cost-saving alternative to diesel, and the island’s services such as health centres, administrative centres and schools don’t have to worry about lack of electricity.