In a circular to schools dated June 6, the Ministry of Education issued guidelines for the implementation of National Basic Institutions’ Solarisation Program.
The circular signed by immediate former Basic Education PS Julius Bitok is copied to all Regional Directors of Education, all County Directors of Education and all Sub-County Directors of Education.
“This circular provides mandatory guidelines for implementation. All regional, county and subcounty directors of education are required to disseminate these guidelines to all targeted schools within their jurisdiction and to ensure strict compliance with the process outlined herein,” it states.
The ministry says this is in line with the greening of basic education institutions that it has made a central element of its climate action and sustainability agenda.
Jogoo House says through the National Tree Planting Campaigns, schools are mobilised to plant millions of trees annually, making educational institutions among the largest contributors to Kenya's goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
“Notwithstanding, the same institutions remain among the highest consumers of firewood for cooking and energy. This contradiction has given rise to the School Clean Energy Programme, which aligns with the President's School LPG Initiative and seeks to transition public schools from biomass-based energy to cleaner, safer, and more sustainable energy sources,” the circular states.
The state says the integration of solar power systems will reduce reliance on grid electricity and fossil fuels, thereby saving institutions power-related costs and conserving the environment.
To address the associated installation costs, the circular says KCB has offered to partner with the Ministry by paying pa service providers directly, with loan servicing at a negotiated interest rate of 9.75% per annum drawn from savings accrued through the programme, the Maintenance and Improvement Fund (M&IF), or other approved infrastructure funds, for a period not exceeding five (5) years
The circular directed all education chiefs disseminate is to all public school principals under their jurisdiction within seven (7) working days of receipt, ensure strict compliance with all provisions of this circular and report any challenges in implementation to the Principal Secretary's office within fourteen (14) days.
It adds; “This circular takes effect from the date of issue and supersedes any earlier verbal or written guidance on the implementation process for this programme. All programme correspondence must reference Ref. No. MOE/6/1/110/2.”
Schools are expected to install one or more of the following clean energy systems based on each institution's assessed energy needs: Solar PV Systems (grid-tied, off-grid, or hybrid), Bio-gas Systems, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Systems, Steam Generators or Thermal Systems Hybrid combinations of two or more energy sources
“Schools are advised to transition to clean energy and to seek KCB financing at 9.75% per annum where required, subject to Ministry approval. The scope of works for each school shall include both lighting and kitchen energy systems as appropriate.”
The school have also been directed to prepare baseline data to inform requirements and forwards the same to the appointed consultant.
Required data includes current electricity bills and grid supply status, complete inventory of electrical equipment (lighting, kitchen, laboratories, offices), roof area, structural age, and type of roofing material and Board of Management meeting minutes confirming support for the programme.
The state says an appointed JV Consultant (Open Door Creative & Promotion Solutions Ltd / W.S Energy Ltd) will undertake all technical assessments at each school.
All consultant outputs are to be submitted to the Ministry through the programme's digital monitoring platform with the Ministry's Contract Implementation Team and the Ministry of Public Works set to review and approve the BoQ before it is issued to contractors.
Schools will be required to invite Requests for Quotation (RFQ) through a county-level mini-competition process from firms on the approved contractor framework list for that county.
Upon completion of the mini-competition, a formal contract is signed between the school (represented by the Board of Management) and the selected contractor.
The contract must include reference the approved BoQ and design specifications, warranty obligations, a commissioning clause requiring sign-off by the Consultant and a licensed EPRA technician, specify that all payments shall be processed exclusively through the KCB financing mechanism and prohibit upfront cash payments from the school to the contractor.
“Prior to commencement of any installation works, the school and KCB must align on and formalise the financing arrangement,” the circular states.
It adds; “KCB Bank will maintain the central programme performance dashboard, giving the Ministry and KCB real-time visibility into programme progress, energy yield, system health, and financial performance across all 1,607 schools under LOT 1”
