- The Ministry of Education has signed an MOU with KCB Bank Kenya to support solar energy projects in public universities.
- The partnership will finance the installation and maintenance of solar systems and energy efficiency solutions.
- Universities will undergo energy audits and site assessments before suitable systems are selected.
- The programme will use asset-based financing arrangements for individual university facilities.
- Students and university technicians are expected to gain practical skills in designing, installing and maintaining solar systems.
Public universities across Kenya are set to receive support to adopt solar energy after the Ministry of Education entered into a new partnership with KCB Bank Kenya Limited.
The agreement provides a framework through which universities can access financing for solar installations and energy efficiency projects. It will also cover the maintenance of the systems after installation, with the solutions expected to be tailored to the individual energy needs of participating institutions.
Higher Education and Research Principal Secretary Beatrice Muganda announced the partnership on Thursday, September 3.
Muganda said the Memorandum of Understanding between the State Department for Higher Education and KCB will help universities move towards cleaner and more sustainable sources of energy.
She explained that the programme will not involve a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, universities will first have their electricity consumption patterns reviewed before detailed assessments are carried out to determine the most appropriate systems for individual facilities.
“I signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) inbetween the State Department for Higher Education and KCB Bank Kenya Limited to support the solarization of our university institutions,” Muganda said.
She added that the agreement will provide a framework for financing, installing and maintaining solar energy systems, alongside other energy efficiency measures.
The assessments will take into account historical electricity consumption as well as the specific power requirements of each institution.
Under the programme, universities and KCB will jointly identify facilities that could benefit from solar power and related energy efficiency solutions.
The first stage will involve screening university facilities using their previous electricity consumption records. Detailed site assessments will then be conducted to establish the type and scale of solar installation required at each location.
“Under this framework, Universities and KCB Bank will jointly undertake preliminary screening of university facilities, guided by historical power consumption patterns, and carry out detailed site assessments to determine the most suitable solar solutions for each institution,” Muganda said.
The approach is intended to ensure that investments are based on actual energy requirements rather than installing identical systems across different campuses.
Financing will be provided through asset-based arrangements for individual facilities, allowing participating institutions to transition to solar energy through a structured financing model.
The government also wants the programme to create opportunities for practical training within universities rather than limiting the partnership to the installation of solar equipment.
Muganda said students and university technical staff should participate in the process and gain hands-on experience in renewable energy systems.
She stressed that universities should not simply receive imported equipment and leave students and technicians without an opportunity to understand how the technology works.
“We should not import equipment, install it and leave our students and technicians watching from the sidelines. Our young people must acquire the skills to design, install, operate, maintain and improve these systems,” Muganda said.
The partnership will therefore seek to expose students and university staff to practical aspects of solar energy, including installation, operation, maintenance and improvement of the systems.
Government Pushes for Sustainable University Energy
The solarisation programme is expected to combine energy investment with skills development as public universities seek more sustainable ways of meeting their power needs.
By assessing each facility individually, the programme will identify solutions based on electricity consumption and institutional requirements. The involvement of university personnel is also expected to help build local technical capacity around renewable energy technology.
Muganda said the partnership should ultimately provide students and staff with practical experience while helping universities adopt clean energy solutions in a sustainable manner.
