The Distributed Renewable Energy Ecosystem Model (DREEM Hub) initiative has continued its nationwide engagements with farmers and cooperatives, visiting Kitui and Laikipia counties to explore opportunities for integrating clean energy into agriculture. The visits brought together key spoke partners, including CLASP, Endustrial Support – Chi Yang Systems, and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC).
Kitui Energy Centre Visit
At the Kitui Energy Centre, partners convened to brainstorm how demonstration farms under the DREEM Hub could be rolled out across the country. Discussions focused on food security, energy access, and maximizing value for farmers across different value chains.
Representatives from CLASP emphasized the opportunity to create coalitions that help farmers retain more value from their activities across multiple value chains. Meanwhile, REREC underscored the importance of scalability, noting that the lessons from DREEM could be replicated across other regions in Kenya to improve livelihoods through clean energy adoption.
Program Manager Saumu Ismail (DREEM – KCIC) added, “Working with different partners to design and implement this program is proving fruitful so far. We see an opportunity to transform these communities beyond their staple crops. Achieving a combination of food security and energy access would be really impactful.”
Laikipia Cooperatives Engagement
The DREEM Hub team visited ODUPA Dairy Cooperative and Solio Cooperative to gain first-hand insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by dairy farmers.
At ODUPA, farmers were seen adding value to milk using manual processes due to limited access to modern equipment and energy. Meanwhile, Solio Cooperative showcased how its milk collection model is improving community livelihoods, though challenges in scaling remain due to energy constraints.
Across both cooperatives, stakeholders emphasized the urgent need for affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions to support value addition in the dairy chain.
Demonstration Farms to Bridge the Gap
The upcoming demonstration farms will act as knowledge-sharing centers, giving farmers practical exposure to solar-powered agricultural technologies. The demo farms will act as learning centers to showcase productive solar energy applications in agriculture. Farmers will experience first-hand how agri-solar equipment works, with an emphasis on quality assurance and practical use. This is aimed at accelerating clean energy adoption in agriculture.
Driving a National Transformation
The visits to Kitui and Laikipia form part of a larger effort to co-create impactful solutions that link renewable energy to agricultural productivity. With multiple partners on board, the DREEM Hub aims to build resilience in rural communities, enhance food security, and promote clean energy adoption across Kenya’s agricultural sector.
