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Health facilities and boreholes in Murang'a County have been installed with solar energy to guarantee services to the locals.
At least 83 health facilities are connected to green energy to preserve drugs that require cold storage. Most of these drugs expired due to disconnection of electricity or blackout.
The county said the power supply has reduced the cost of electricity from Sh80,000 per month to between Sh40,000 and Sh55,000.
Some of the facilities, such as Kiriani dispensary in Mathioya, are on solar 24 hours, thus having zero electricity bills.
The facilities worst hit by poor power supply were in Kahumbu ward, Kigumo, where some of the dispensaries suffered, forcing the county to store vaccines in Kandara constituency.
Governor Irungu Kang’ata last year initiated the solarisation programme designed to connect the 157 health facilities with solar energy, designed to reduce electricity bills.
In the first phase, Kang’ata said 70 health facilities were connected in a cost-reduction strategy.
“To provide security for gadgets, we developed an online real-time monitoring of the solar load using an application that can easily be monitored using a mobile phone," Kahumbu MCA Chefman Njoroge said installation of green energy will help reduce bills and improve efficiency.
He regretted that services were paralysed at Gathimaini and Mugumoini dispensaries in Kahumbu after transformers were vandalised and electricity disconnected over the unpaid bills.
In Kahumbu, Gakuyu and Saba Saba health centres are connected to solar energy, ending the challenges faced in the past years.
“The County Assembly supported solar energy, following the suffering the community had endured,” said Mr Njoroge.
Health Chief Officer Eliud Maina said the initiative is set to benefit multiple sectors, ensuring reliable energy for water supply, education, healthcare services, and government operations.
“As the county continues to implement this project, addressing community concerns and ensuring the efficiency of the solar systems will be key to its success,” he said.
Peter Mwangi, a resident of Kahumbu, said after the health facilities were connected with green energy, treatment services have improved compared to the past.
“Even for those registered for the telemedicine service, the majority of the elderly met the doctors online in the dispensaries connected with solar energy,” said Mwangi.
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