Ali AwDoll
Garissa, Kenya.
Residents of Raya, in Garissa County, have protested the failure by the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) to compensate them for land acquired for the construction of the Garissa Solar Power Plant.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, community elders accused REREC of displacing more than 375 plot owners without fulfilling promises of compensation and social responsibility projects made during the project’s inception.
The disputed land includes approximately 300 acres taken up by the Garissa Solar Power Plant, hundreds of 100m by 100m plots occupied by metallic pylons, and additional land used for the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) substation at Atheyley.
Issa Yussuf, one of the elders, said the massive tract of land on which the 50MW solar facility now stands was once home to hundreds of families.
“Our people were evicted from the 300 acre land with assurances of fair compensation that never materialized. The entire community was rendered landless while REREC went ahead to construct the project,” he said.
Another resident, Ismail Abdi, accused the agency of intimidation and bad faith.
“At one point, REREC officials offered the entire community KSh1.5 million to share or face arrest. That is an insult,” he said.
The residents also criticized REREC for failing to deliver on its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) pledges, including job opportunities and community infrastructure.
“We were promised an eight-classroom school, a hospital fully equipped with medical supplies, boreholes, water tanks, irrigation infrastructure, and free electricity connections. None of these have been fulfilled. Even the three classrooms they built remain incomplete,” lamented Ismail.
Mumin Gedi Ahmed, another elder, alleged that two casual workers lost their eyesight due to prolonged exposure to glare from the solar panels.
“When former President Uhuru Kenyatta came to commission the power station in 2019, we were promised 150 casual jobs for local youth. In the end, only six people were hired, each earning a meagre KSh10,000 per month,” Mumin said.
Adding to the residents’ woes, Omar Ibrahim complained that security dogs guarding the power plant have been attacking their livestock.
“I have personally lost four goats, and many others in the community have suffered similar losses. We have never received any form of compensation,” he said.
Youth leader Bare Dubat accused the government of turning the solar plant into a fortress guarded by special security forces, saying locals now live in fear of speaking out.
“We expected jobs and development, but all we see are outsiders manning our land. The government earns over KSh400 million every year from this project while the community gets nothing,” said Dubat.
Idriss Bilal said he would institute legal action to seek redress for the community should REREC and KETRACO fail to fulfil their compensation and development commitments.
The aggrieved community members further demanded that they be allocated a share of the revenues generated from the Garissa Solar Plant, similar to how Turkana County benefits from its oil resources, arguing that their land continues to produce wealth for the nation while they remain impoverished.
The Garissa Solar Power Plant, located in Raya, is the largest grid-connected solar energy project in East and Central Africa. Commissioned in 2018, the 50-megawatt facility contributes approximately 2% of Kenya’s national power mix.
Despite its national significance, Raya residents say the project has brought them nothing but loss and neglect. They are now demanding immediate compensation, completion of promised community projects, and a fair share of the plant’s revenues to improve local livelihoods.
Efforts to reach REREC and KETRACO officials for comment were unsuccessful by the time of going to press.