Kitui County Celebrates Mashujaa Day with Focus on Clean Energy, Despite Ongoing Power Challenges

 

Kitui County marked Mashujaa Day with a focus on clean and sustainable energy, even as many villages in the region continue to live without electricity.

At Imumba Market in Kitui East, business goes on in a small but growing marketplace. Due to the intense heat, traders construct stalls using palm leaves for shade. Many of them, however, voiced concerns over the lack of electricity, which affects both communication and access to essential services like healthcare.

“Since independence, we have never received electricity,” said one trader. “We only use solar power to charge our phones, and when there is no sun, we are left in darkness. Pregnant women especially suffer because when phones die, it becomes hard to reach help.”

At Paul Komu’s home, the family relies on solar light in the evening to keep their livestock safe and help children study. But Paul says the cost is a major burden.

“We can only afford solar lighting for about fifteen days each month,” he said. “The rest of the time, we are in the dark and can’t do much.”

In contrast, residents of Nditime Market have seen a significant improvement in their quality of life since electricity was introduced there three years ago.

Kitui County’s Energy Minister, Richard Mwendandu, acknowledged the challenges but said efforts are ongoing to improve electricity access. He noted that although Kitui is a vast county, the government is working closely with Kenya Power to expand the electricity grid and promote renewable energy solutions.

“According to Kenya Power, only about 34 percent of Kitui currently has electricity,” Mwendandu said. “Our goal is to increase that number to over 60 percent.”

He also emphasized the county's focus on solar energy, not just for household lighting and security, but also for powering boreholes to cut water pumping costs.