GARISSA ( Halbeeg News) – President Uhuru Kenyatta launched one of the largest solar power generation facilities in East Africa on Friday in Garissa county, North Eastern Kenya.
Garissa Governor Ali Korane, National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and Mbalambala MP Omar Shurie attended the launch.
The multi-million-dollar solar farm comprises 210,000 solar panels.
The Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation project was financed by China’s Exim Bank through a concessional loan arrangement.
President Kenyatta said the power plant is part of a broad government renewable energy strategy to harvest 400MW of electricity from the country’s vast solar resource.
Noting the speed with which the project was completed, the President said Garissa, which previously depended on unstable thermal power, is now fully connected to the national power grid.
He said the government is keen on narrowing the development gap between regions of the country, adding that every Kenyan is part of his administration’s development agenda.
Energy CS Charles Keter thanked the leadership of Garissa for their cooperation during the construction of the power plant and announced plans to compensate locals on whose land the facility was developed.
As part of CSR, the contractor has drilled a borehole, built a new school, clinics and renovated a 3 km road.
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