Amid high energy costs, rural Kenyan communities switch to hydropower

(1 Nov 2023)
KENYA HYDROELECTRIC POWER
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTIONS:
LENGTH: 6:29
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Murang'a, Kenya - 18 October 2023
1. Various of reservoir constructed by HydroBox Kenya for the purposes of making hydroelectric power
2. Various of river that has been diverted and water directed to canal
3. Various of pipe used to direct water into turbine
4. Various of platform above pipe
5. Various of power plant
6. SOUNDBITE (English) John Magiro, director at HydroBox Kenya and founder of Magiro Hydro Electricity:
"Right now, we divert the water from the main river, that is what we have done. We call it the reservoir. And then after that, we normally have some gate that reduces the amount of water that we are using, and then from the reservoir to the canal, from the canal to the main intake. From there to the pipe. We have a big pipe that is more than 1.5 metres and then to the turbine. The work of the water is mainly rotating the turbine and now, after the turbine being rotated, it rotates the alternator, and now the alternator generates power. The full amount of the water, 100%, goes back to the river."
7. Various of Magiro in turbine room
8. SOUNDBITE (English) John Magiro, director at HydroBox Kenya and founder of Magiro Hydro Electricity:
"Right now, we are generating 750kWs that we are supplying to our customers that is tea factories, other business customers, the schools and the local customers, we are charging them."
9. Various of turbine room
10. Various of electricity transformer, owned by HydroBox Kenya
11. Various of Grace Wairimu, Murang'a local who uses electricity from HydroBox Kenya
12. SOUNDBITE (Gikuyu) Grace Wairimu, Murang'a local who uses electricity from HydroBox Kenya:
"This electricity from Magiro has helped us a lot, especially here at home. Firstly, we have a television that we watch. We are informed because of watching the news and we charge our phones."
13. Various of Kiriti Tea Factory
14. Various of operations inside factory using electricity from HydroBox Kenya
15. Various setup shots of Steve Maina, CEO of Kiriti Tea Factory
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Maina, CEO of Kiriti Tea Factory:
"Previously, when we had power interruptions, the quality of the leaf would be compromised and the quality of the tea would also be compromised which would affect the price, but now, we have stable production and stable quality and this assures us the market for our orthodox tea."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nairobi, Kenya - 19 October 2023
17. Various set up shots of Azarius Karanja, Lead for Environment Social and Governance, Niko Green Kenya
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Azarius Karanja, Lead for Environment Social and Governance, Niko Green Kenya:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Muranga, Kenya - 18 October 2023
19. Various of water from power plant rejoining river
STORYLINE:
LEADIN:
Amid high energy costs and intermittent power supply, some communities and businesses in rural Kenya are switching to locally-produced hydroelectric power.
STORYLINE:
This hydroelectric power plant, called HydroBox Kenya, was set up by Kenyan John Magiro, the founder of Magiro Hydro Electricity, and HydroBox, a Belgian equity investment company.
The plant was developed at a cost of around Ksh 105.7 million (approx. $740,897.50 USD) with technical and funding support from the National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND), World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) and Belgium’s FINEXPO.
HydroBox is thought to be the only hydroelectric power plant in Kenya's central region.
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[@stefanogizzler]

Wow, This is fantastic, Well Crafted.

[@djdimplesdimpole]

Wow am so excited for you magiro,this guy was my school mate. He was very active in scout movement also.

[@kipdennis3796]

Wow this is nice

[@ezraomwenga562]

Government should adopt this on all rivers within the country to avoid perennial black outs and also connect every Kenyans to power

[@JohnMwangi-jv3pp]

A greate project

[@fortantkalonji227]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@DonOkwaro-by7lt]

I have invested in Solar supply now i use kplc as back up

[@3waroyrow2022]

This is the way to go. As Kenya run away from kplc who think of themselves alone. Even in this flooding situation there is power cuts? Really? Wakenya amkeni

[@mickeyk899]

the editor is really poor... you cut off the interviews in really weird and incomprehensible places, at times even mid sentence . for instance at 2.39 you cut off Magori mid-sentence especially when he was going to say the price... or did you want to hide that info???

[@ezraomwenga562]

WATU WA SAFARICOM FOUNDATION PONYOKENI NA HII PROJECT,KPLC IAMKE juu imelala Kwa kazi

[@kenyanwanderer9112]

With such type of energy who knows the potential at hand it holds changing young peoples life....imagine that plant powering a crypto mining machine. The energy to power bitcoin mining machine is immense and it can make profit alot

[@ezraomwenga562]

If this is adopted it will put Kenya on the global map just like mpesa

[@KyaloSengani-ou2hl]

That is crossflow turbine

[@sidneyhillaryw5121]

Isn't it kinda illegal

[@markmuriithi-ip7hs]

where? are you kenyan

[@georgeikinya2779]

What a foolish question? Na Indians with heavy fossil fuel generators under private power generation scamming kenya power .

[@rydergoode6922]

Not in Kenya. Unless 🇺🇸 advises the leadership to make it illegal in that quintessentially oppressive manner they meddle in global affairs 😅

[@zigzag4273]

@@markmuriithi-ip7hs Kila county infaa kufanya kitu kama hii. Mambo ya kurely on KPLC tumekataa. KPLC is led by incompetents.

[@bnargacu1291]

Generating is not. But selling power is.

[@KyaloSengani-ou2hl]

Many kenyans are buying half million solar systems