AIS Kilimo

Focus Areas

Promotion of Renewable Energy

Project: AIS as a nexus between energy and agriculture - Kajiado county

Reducing energy costs and environmental degradation through adoption of sustainable solar energy for households, social institutions, and small to medium sized enterprises

Adoption of solar energy technologies is critical for driving economic prosperity of rural communities. These technologies promote development of sustainable agribusiness ventures, catalyze shift from subsistence farming to commercial farming and enable creation of business enterprises.

Kenya has huge potential for solar energy because of the very intense solar insolation that the country enjoys. Despite the introduction of solar and other renewable technologies in the country decades ago, adoption and penetration of these technologies is very low. Data shows that uptake of such technologies is dependent on ‘learning-by-doing’ effects and appreciation of the future savings in comparison to costs associated fuel and off grid energy operations.

In collaboration with Safaricom Foundation, GIZ EnDev program, AIS has conducted various community outreach programs in Kajiado South sub county to promote solar energy technologies and its integration in agriculture.

Our implementation model:

  • Training and showcasing technologies to farmers at our demonstration farm which is 100% powered using solar energy.
  • Set up community outreach programs where we train using ‘learning by doing’ training model
  • Incubate solar based enterprises such as hatcheries at our demonstration farm to support entrepreneurs with technical and market linkages

Among the solar technologies that AIS promotes include : Solar water pump and irrigation systems, solar egg incubators, solar barber kits, sewing machines and sound amplifiers that can provide entrepreneurship opportunities for women and youth in Kajiado. AIS has recruited and trained 35 women and youth as solar sales agents.

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