The three sites were:

1. Gurar in Wajir County located at the border of Kenya and Ethiopia.
2. Kiliwehiri, Banisa constituency located in Mandera County.
3. Ashabito is located in Mandera North.

The project employed 30 locals per site accompanied by three engineers from Lean Energy Solutions Ltd. The Project is expected to serve homesteads and public facilities including schools, market centers, Health centers, and administrative offices. The harnessing of the sun’s energy will boost the growth of the villages and the economy. The systems installed were hybrid systems consisting of Solar panels, PV investors, battery energy storage systems, and backup diesel generators.

As with any other project, this project came with its challenges too! Due to the high unemployment rate in the country, young people crowded the project sites seeking employment leading to a labor influx.

Harsh environmental conditions proved to be a challenge with temperatures rising to above 30 degrees making manual work next to impossible. Shades were however erected and drinking water was provided for the people working on the sites. Moving raw materials and engineers from one site to other proved to be a large issue due to the lack of an efficient and well-integrated transport system.

Mandera County is known for its poor security and volatility because of its proximity to Somalia. The majority of the people in the area have experienced issues of terrorism, some even more than 10 times. This means that almost every part of the county has experienced security problems. Our engineers lived to tell the tale when they witnessed an attempted Al-Shabab attack at Ashabito in Mandera North.

The project has had a major impact on the community. In the one year that the project was underway, a total of 90 people in the three sites were employed. Providing employment to residents of Mandera, led to the development of livelihoods, hence reducing idleness and crime rate. The 180 kW of electricity will create development in the area, even as new business opportunities come up.

Hospitals are huge beneficiaries of power upgrades in the area. Locals won’t have to travel over long distances in search of medical services. Schools will now enjoy electricity enabling efficient learning and the introduction of new subjects like computer studies in their curriculum.

Lean Energy Solutions Ltd is proud to have been part of The REA Mini-Grid Project which has benefited the residents of Mandera County and will boost the County’s growth and development.