By Alfrique Mwana and Angela Mutiso
Kerosene Lamps Were Dangerous and Inadequate
For generations, nights in Jimo Village meant darkness. As soon as the sun set over this rural community in Nyakach Constituency, daily life essentially stopped. Families would gather around the dim, smoky light of kerosene lamps – if they could afford the fuel. The flickering orange glow barely pushed back the darkness, making it hard for children to study, for adults to work, or for the community to gather.
These kerosene lamps were more than just inadequate; they were dangerous. The fumes caused respiratory problems, especially for children and the elderly. The open flames regularly caused burns and house fires. And the cost was staggering; some families spent up to a third of their income just to keep these lamps burning.
What made the situation even more frustrating was seeing the electrical wires passing overhead. The national grid ran right through the area, but most families couldn’t afford the connection fees. So, while nearby towns enjoyed electric light, Jimo’s residents remained trapped in the smoke and dimness of kerosene lamps.
Children, eager to learn, strained their eyes under the inadequate light, their homework often left unfinished as the kerosene ran low or the fumes became unbearable. Families gathered in the dimness, conversations hushed, activities curtailed. The vibrant energy that pulsed through Jimo during the day seemed to dissipate with the fading light, replaced by a quiet resignation to the limitations imposed by darkness. The irony was not lost on the residents.
Then, slowly, things began to change…
It started with a few solar lamps brought in by companies like Sun King and Delight. At first, people were skeptical. Could something powered by the sun really work at night? But when a handful of families tried them, the difference was impossible to ignore.
Mama Atieno, a seamstress, was one of the first to switch. Before solar, she had to stop working when the sun went down, losing income because her kerosene lamp wasn’t bright enough to sew by. With a solar lamp, she could work late into the evening, finishing orders that used to take days. Neighbours noticed. Soon, others began asking where she got her lamp.
The benefits went beyond just light. Families quickly realized how much money they were saving. Instead of spending hundreds of shillings every week on kerosene, they could use that money for food, school fees, or even small investments in their farms or businesses.
Children, especially, felt the difference. Homework no longer had to be rushed before sunset or abandoned when the kerosene ran out. With steady solar light, students could study longer, and teachers noticed their grades improving. At the local primary school, a donated solar system allowed evening study sessions for the first time.
Health improved, too. The constant coughs and eye irritation from kerosene smoke began to disappear. Clinics saw fewer cases of respiratory infections, and homes were safer without the risk of accidental fires from overturned lamps.
The village itself started to change. Small shops that used to close at dusk now stayed open later, their solar lamps drawing customers. The local market, once empty after dark, now had vendors selling goods well into the evening. Footpaths that were once pitch-black at night now had pockets of light from solar lamps in homes along the way, making it safer for people to move around after sunset.
What made solar adoption work was how affordable it became. Companies offered payment plans where families could pay small daily amounts via mobile money; less than what they used to spend on kerosene – until they owned the lamp outright. For many, this was a game-changer. They weren’t just buying light; they were escaping the cycle of spending money every day just to stay in darkness.
Even families connected to the grid found solar useful. Power outages were common, and having a solar lamp meant never being left in the dark. Some households used grid electricity for bigger appliances but relied on solar for lighting to cut costs.
The change wasn’t limited to Jimo. In nearby towns and even cities like Kisumu, solar lamps were becoming common—not just in off-grid areas, but even in neighborhoods with electricity. The national grid’s unreliability made solar a practical backup for many. Families grew tired of sudden blackouts disrupting meals, homework, or business operations. A solar lamp on the table or a small solar-powered phone charger became the difference between frustration and being able to carry on as normal.
In urban markets, vendors kept solar lamps under their stalls, ready for the next outage. Small business owners relied on them to keep cash registers operational or to continue serving customers when the lights went out. Some solar systems even powered Wi-Fi routers and mobile charging stations – a lifeline for people who depended on being connected for work or family communication.
For these households, solar wasn’t just about replacing kerosene; it was about filling the gaps left by an unpredictable grid. The math made sense: why pay for unreliable grid electricity and still need kerosene for backups, when a one-time solar investment could solve both problems?
There were still challenges, of course. Heavy rains sometimes left solar panels uncharged, and the very poorest families still struggled with even small daily payments. But the direction was clear. Slowly, steadily, light was spreading – not through some grand t project, but through small, practical solutions that worked for ordinary people.
Why Solar Makes Sense
- Energy Independence
Solar needs no grid, no monthly bills, no fuel deliveries. The system works as long as the sun rises – which in Kenya, it always does.
- Disaster Resilience
When floods knock out power lines or roads become impassable, solar lamps keep working. During emergencies, they become lifelines for communication and safety. - Environmental Healing
Every solar lamp adopted means:
- 200kg less CO2 annually
- 60 liters of kerosene not burned
- Fewer trees cut for charcoal light
- Cleaner air for both people and wildlife
- Economic Multiplier
Money saved on fuel stays in local circulation – spent on school fees, farm inputs, or small businesses rather than energy imports.
- Future-Proof
Unlike grid power that requires massive infrastructure, solar scales from single lamps to whole-home systems as families prosper.
So, solar isn’t just another light source – it’s energy that respects both household budgets and the environment. In places like Jimo, it’s proving that sometimes the best solutions don’t come from centralized systems, but from harnessing what’s already abundant: sunlight and human ingenuity.
These days, when the sun sets over Jimo, you’ll still see those unused grid wires overhead. But what matters happens beneath them – children studying, mothers working, fishermen preparing their nets – all under light that costs families less and takes nothing from the earth.
Angela Mutiso is the Editorial Consultant of the Accountant Journal- cananews@gmail.com Alfrique Mwana is a Communications Expert – otienoalfy@gmial.com
