Kenya is implementing the Eldoret solar power project with a budget of 3.45 billion shillings.

Written by Mohamed Salem

The Kenyan Ministry of Finance has approved the Eldoret power plant project, which costs 3.45 billion Kenyan shillings, as well as a solar street lighting project.

According to local media in Kenya, under this approval, issued on April 10, contract negotiations for the project can begin according to the Public-Private Partnership model, which represents an important step towards modernizing Kenya’s newest city.

Improving lighting and safety

The project aims to convert the public lighting network in the city of Eldoret to renewable energy, while improving the reliability, safety and energy efficiency of lighting in key public spaces.

The approval came after a series of intensive approval stages, with the Project Information Pack receiving initial approval in November 2025, allowing the project to move to an investment feasibility study.

According to the project details, the initiative will include the establishment of a 3 MW AC photovoltaic solar power plant, integrated with a 9 MW battery energy storage system, to power street lighting and selected municipal facilities independently of the national grid, and ensure the continuity of lighting even in cases of power outages.

The plan also includes converting existing grid-connected street lighting to solar power, installing approximately 12,000 new LED streetlights, 90 high-rise lighting towers, and refurbishing 2,271 broken streetlights throughout the municipality.

Major municipal buildings, traffic lights, parks and other public facilities will be connected to the new renewable energy system.

The project will dispense with traditional lamps and replace them with a modern technological lighting system equipped with adaptive LED streetlights, and fitted with integrated television surveillance cameras with facial recognition technology and smart control systems.

Underground fiber optic network

The system will be supported by an underground fiber optic network, enabling real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance, with the goal of making Eldoret brighter, more connected, and safer.

This lighting project comes almost two years after Eldoret was upgraded to a city, becoming Kenya's fifth city, after Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru.

According to the Wassin Gishau County Government, the impact is expected to be immediate and profound, as the project aims to make Eldoret a vibrant city around the clock, with brighter streets expected to deter crime, enhance public safety, and extend business hours into the late hours of the night.

In this regard, Silas Letting, the project coordinator, stated: ’Eldoret is striving to reach the level of modern cities in developed countries, where innovation, safety and sustainability drive urban growth, by delivering a unique project in the sub-Saharan Africa region.’.