Nyamira has been identified as one of the counties spearheading use of green energy by special interest groups including women, children, youth, persons living with disability, the elderly, minority and marginalised groups in the county.
Speaking at the county headquarters while releasing an assessment report on the uptake of green energy by special interest groups, National Gender and Equality Commission Vice-Chair Dr Chomba Munyi acknowledged that special groups have widely embraced use of green energy in the county.
He clarified the Commission’s main objective in Nyamira was to assess the uptake of green energy by special groups and to promote awareness among special interest groups on available opportunities in green energy in Kenya.
According to Dr Munyi, solar energy is the leading type of green energy used in the county for street and home lighting purposes followed by biogas energy for cooking and lighting.
“Primary results of the assessment indicate that the use of the solar energy is extensively used, has been greatly embraced and has enabled the installation of street lights by the county government and adopted to light various homes even learning institutions like Mogusii Secondary School in Borabu Sub County has embraced solar energy for all their lighting needs,” Dr Munyi revealed.
The government-funded assessment exercise began on Monday December 6th in the various selected counties countrywide where Nyamira County is among the selected counties. The assessment is in its second phase.
Gender and Equality Commission however noted gaps in access and utilisation of renewable energy and recommended that the county government accelerate awareness to members of the public, for a higher uptake and utilisation of various forms of green energy.
The vice chair further challenged the county to give priority and allocate more funds in their budget to facilitate production of these forms of green energy.
Nyamira County Executive Committee Member for Energy, Environment, Water and Natural Resources Samuel Maiko lauded the Commission for selecting Nyamira County to carry out the assessment and assured the commission of the commitment of the County government in investing more on green energy and digging up boreholes whose water shall be pumped using solar energy.
“I thank the commission for selecting Nyamira as one of the Counties to carry out the assessment exercise. The County government is very much determined in investing more on green energy and we are currently digging boreholes where solar energy shall be used to pump the water for various uses,” Maiko assured.
By Deborah Bochere and Zachary Makori
