Entrepreneurs in Nairobi make the case for going solar

Most of Kenya’s power grid runs on renewables, but about 25% of communities lack centralized electricity. The country is looking to off-grid solar to meet its goal of universal access by 2030 without driving up emissions. A couple of years ago, a panel cost about $3 a watt; now it’s down to cents.

On the margins of a bustling Nairobi, a street-side stall run by Milcah Wanjiru illustrates the shift. She sells half-liter packets of milk, loaves of bread and matches, but her core service is milling corn flour used for ugali—a common Kenyan dish that is similar to polenta, albeit less creamy.

The milling machine in the middle of her shop stands on three adjustable legs. Most such mills burn diesel; Wanjiru’s can run on solar energy or grid electricity. Matt Carr, CEO and cofounder of Agsol, the company that designed the mill, visited to get her feedback.

Kenya, Nairobi

kenya, nairobi, off-grid solar, solar panels, grid electricity, agsol, milcah wanjiru, milling machine, corn flour, ugali