Solar energy training in Kenya

Training programs: are needed. Funding is sought for adult education.

The shortage of skilled personnel is a major barrier to the dissemination of renewable-energy technologies in Africa.

The importance of improving this situation will be highlighted via the participation of INFORSE at the UNESCO Conference CONFINTEA V. (See article.)

This personnel shortage is a problem in the key institutions involved in solar-energy dissemination in Kenya, as reported below.

Universities need more funding

The Appropriate Technology Centre (ATC) at the Kenyatta University is the only academic institution with renewable energy included in the curriculum. But ATC is under-funded and understaffed. Other universities have been involved in solar-energy research, and have developed, e.g., solar driers, but the results of this have not been disseminated widely.

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NGOs' successful programs need more support

Several Kenyan NGOs (e.g., Bellerive Foundation, Intermediate Technology Development Group, and the Women Umbrella Organisation) have been involved in adult training in renewable energy. The largest such initiative was the KENGO's (Kenya Energy and Environment Organisation's) Regional Wood Energy Programme for Africa (RWEPA), in which more than 300 renewable-energy project managers were trained.

Ministry looses its skilled persons

In the Ministry of Energy, externally funded projects have provided training in renewable energy for some of the employees, but in several cases, internal transfers have affected the value of the training. Also, several of the trained persons later left the Ministry.

The article is based on information from Stephen Karekezi, Patience Turyareeba, and Esther Ewagata, Foundation for Woodstove Dissemination, P.O. Box 30979, Nairobi, Kenya, ph.: +254-2-566 032, fax: +254-2-561 464.