Anne Nyaguthie is a butcher in Katharane trading center, south Mbeere District, Embu County in eastern Kenya.

For the better part of her married life, she has been operating the business that is their main source of income for their family together with the husband who occasionally steps in when not involved in their three acres farm.

In normal days, life at the trading center initially ends at 6 p.m. (15:00 GMT) as people leave in a rush before darkness creeps in.

“Unlike what happens in other trading centers, we close our shops early as people avoid coming to the market late due to darkness,” Nyaguthie told Xinhua during an interview at her business premises.

But since February 2019, Nyaguthie has been closing her butchery at 10 p.m. courtesy of the off-grid solar system that has enabled her to operate her business slightly later than the majority of traders in the market.

She said that the solar system has been a blessing to her in particular and to other traders in the market as some vegetable traders move closer to her shop to sell their produce under her front shop floodlight.

“Not many of us here have solar power but a good number of traders and individuals are fast buying the equipment,” said the 52-year-old Nyaguthie.

She purchased a solar panel in February 2019 and has so far been recording high margin of proceeds as most people prefer to purchase meat in the evening due to their daily engagements that denies them an opportunity to visit the market early enough.

“Besides supplying us with daily light at the shop, the solar panel also has a system that allowed us to charge phones at any time and also comes with a portable radio, that keeps us informed while at the premises,” said Nyaguthie.

Elsie Kendi, a 30-year-old mother of three has used lantern for her home lighting since she got married in Katharane village.

Her two children who are primary school pupils too use the solar for doing their homework at night.

“The solar power is affordable,” Kendi said at her home.

She said that initially her children suffered eye problems from doing homework using lanterns but this has since changed as they do not have eye problems anymore.

Kendi said that once her solar is fully charged, it can operate nonstop for the next three days without failure.

“Kenya is quickly abandoning kerosene lanterns in favor of solar energy,” said Dhaval Radia, senior vice president, Greenlight Planet.

He said that Kenyans are aware of the benefits of solar and the side effects of using kerosene while lighting their homes using off-grid solar that has proved to be a powerful tool for change for those living in rural East Africa.

He said that his firm has developed a system whereby consumers purchase solar panels on hire purchase.

“Consumers are allowed to pay as little as less than 1.5 dollars (about 150 Shillings) and this is conducive for their day to day operation,” said Radia.

James Ngumba, a business manager for Greenlight Planet, a private company that has been supplying solar panels to residents of Embu County, revealed that over 6,000 households and businessmen have acquired solar power in their homes and business premises in the region. Enditem