At sunrise on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kisumu’s
Dunga beach in Kenya, fisherman Peter Okello pushes his wooden canoe into the
water. For years, his biggest worry was the weather. Today, it is fuel. The
cost of petrol for small boat engines has steadily risen, eating into the
modest income that feeds his family. “Sometimes we catch enough fish,” he says,
“but the fuel takes the money.”
A few kilometres
away, a solar-powered cold storage unit hums quietly near the landing site.
Fishermen like Peter can now store their catch longer without rushing to sell
it cheaply before it spoils. The facility operates on solar energy, thereby reducing costs and minimising waste. For Peter, clean energy is no longer an abstract idea — it
is the difference between profit and loss.
Across East Africa,
stories like Peter’s reveal a simple truth: the region’s green economy will
only succeed if it improves the everyday livelihoods of ordinary people.
The East African
region holds some of the world’s most promising renewable energy resources. The
region receives between 1,500 and 3,000
kilowatt-hours of solar radiation per square metre each year, making solar energy particularly
viable for rural electrification and small enterprises. Yet Africa still
accounts for less than 2% of global solar photovoltaic capacity,
highlighting the gap between potential and actual deployment.
Access to
electricity also remains uneven. In recent years, about
79% of households in Kenya have access to electricity, while Rwanda has reached nearly 60%. In contrast, Uganda’s access rate is
about 42%, Tanzania's is around 36%,
and Burundi's remains below 10%, among the lowest in the world. These
disparities mean that millions of households and small businesses still operate
without reliable energy.
In rural districts
like Kayunga District, farmer Sarah Namuli
has begun using a small solar-powered irrigation pump to water her vegetables
during dry spells. Before, she depended entirely on rainfall. Now she can grow
crops throughout the year. Her harvests are larger, and her children’s school fees
are more manageable.
These kinds of
practical energy solutions are at the heart of an inclusive green economy. When
renewable energy powers irrigation systems, cold chains, agro-processing mills,
and rural clinics, it multiplies economic opportunities across communities.
Off-grid solar is
already transforming access. Globally, around 490 million people
now receive electricity through off-grid solar technologies,
including solar home systems and mini-grids. Between 2019
and 2022 alone, about 70 million people gained electricity through such
solutions, with
sub-Saharan Africa accounting for a large share. In fact, more than half of the new electricity connections in parts of Africa during
recent years have come from off-grid solar systems.
East Africa has
been a major driver of this growth. In Kenya
alone, over three million households now use off-grid solar
products, making it
one of the largest solar markets in the developing world.
Yet progress will
not happen automatically.
Large-scale energy
projects often prioritise feeding national grids or urban industries while
rural producers remain underserved. If the green transition is designed without
local livelihoods in mind, it risks widening inequality rather than reducing
it.
East Africa must
therefore prioritise decentralised energy systems — mini-grids, solar-powered
enterprises, and community-level solutions. These technologies can reach remote
communities faster and at lower cost than traditional grid expansion.
Financing will also
be critical. Small farmers, fisherfolk, and rural entrepreneurs often cannot
afford the upfront cost of solar pumps, cold storage systems, or
energy-efficient equipment and other options for Productive Use of Solar Energy
(PUSE). Blended finance, microcredit, and targeted public subsidies can help
bridge this gap.
Regional
cooperation will also matter. Initiatives led by organisations such as the East African Community (EAC) institutions like
the East African Centre of Excellence for
Renewable Energy and Efficiency (EACREEE) are already promoting
cross-border power trade and renewable energy investment. With better planning,
these efforts can ensure that clean energy strengthens regional value chains in
agriculture, fisheries, and manufacturing.
Ultimately, the
success of East Africa’s green economy will not be measured only in megawatts
installed or emissions reduced. It will be measured in whether fishermen like
Peter can keep more of their earnings, farmers like Sarah can grow food even
during droughts, and rural communities can build resilient livelihoods.
The green transition must do more than power cities and
industries. It must power opportunity — from fishing villages on Lake Victoria
to farms, markets, and small enterprises across East Africa.
No comments:
Post a Comment