President William Ruto has announced plans to install 50,000 street-lighting points in Nairobi as part of efforts to improve security and extend lighting to more parts of the capital.
Ruto said the government would also rehabilitate 20,000 existing streetlights that are not working and install another 10,000 new solar-powered smart lights, with the overall target being to expand the city's network to 100,000 lighting points.
The President said fabrication of the new lighting equipment was underway, with installation expected to begin this month.
“We are delivering a safer city through the installation of 50,000 street-lighting points,” Ruto said.
He added: “We will be including another 20,000 existing lights, which today don't work, and the installation of another 10,000 new solar and smart street lighting. We will be looking at 100,000 lighting points in the city of Nairobi.”
The initiative is expected to improve visibility on roads and streets, potentially enhancing security for pedestrians, motorists and businesses operating after dark.
The new lights will use solar energy, allowing them to operate without relying entirely on the conventional electricity grid.
Project manager and lead engineer John Njoroge said the system comprises solar panels, batteries and lighting units designed to provide illumination throughout the night.
“It has the major components, which is the battery and the solar panel that is supposed to charge them,” Njoroge said.
He explained that each lighting unit has two solar panels to charge the battery, enabling the streetlight to operate for about 12 hours when fully charged.
“There are two panels for each light, and you can see it's a very bright light, and it's about to run 12 hours fully,” he said.
The technology is also designed to address theft and vandalism, which can undermine public investment in street-lighting infrastructure.
Njoroge said the equipment had been fitted with protective measures to deter theft, alongside a tracking system that can help authorities trace stolen components.
“This is to reduce theft, but above that, we have also installed a system to track. So, if you take the battery, then we are able to know any movement from its location,” he said.
He added that the tracking system could send a signal indicating when a component had moved from its designated location, helping establish where it had been taken.
The use of solar-powered lighting could also help reduce operating costs in areas where extending conventional electricity infrastructure would be expensive.
However, the effectiveness of the programme will depend on proper installation, maintenance and timely repairs to ensure the lights remain operational.
The rehabilitation of 20,000 existing lights is particularly significant because restoring infrastructure that has fallen into disrepair could improve coverage while complementing the installation of new units.
Nairobi has experienced persistent concerns over street lighting in some neighbourhoods, with poorly illuminated roads and public spaces raising safety concerns among residents and businesses.
The planned expansion to 100,000 lighting points would significantly increase the scale of Nairobi's street-lighting network, although the government has yet to provide a detailed breakdown of the locations to be covered or the total cost of the programme.
The expansion comes amid concerns over poorly lit streets and public spaces in parts of Nairobi, where darkness can expose pedestrians, traders and motorists to insecurity.
