By mid 1997 about 70 000 rural homes in Kenya used PV. This is more than were connected to the National Utility. Kenya Power and Lighting Company. Solar home systems account for about 1,4 MWp of the total 2 MWp of PV installed in Kenya.

Nearly two percent of the rural population using solar power is a very high market penetration (with the exception of course of some small Pacific islands). This achievement is not the result of a government subsidised programme or outside aid; it is through purely private sales. This is even more remarkable, as PV prices are high in Kenya, with import duties and local taxes amounting to 44 percent. On the other hand, grid electricity is subsidised, and the rural people would be delighted to have access to it. But the government's rural electrification programme does not have the capital required to reach the areas outside the main towns (or the capacity to meet growing urban electricity demand).

Most PV systems are very small, less than 25 Wp, and are used for lighting and television. Most people buy components; PV module, battery and lamps, and assemble and install their own systems. This does not result in the highest quality, and there are increasing numbers of failures, but the users are often very capable of getting adequate services at low cost. The PV infrastructure is developing with technicians requesting training courses and several dedicated professionals and leading companies tackling the problem. However, the biggest concern for the PV community is the growing share of the market being met by low-quality 12 Wp PV modules, which degrade in output and regularly fail after months, or even weeks of use. This regrettable situation is already getting PV a bad name, and it is to be hoped that improved awareness and the development and application of standards will alleviate the problem (see also article Mind the gap).

A systematic survey of 400 users was conducted for the World Bank in 1996/1997. This showed that 60% of users are satisfied with their PV systems and 94% would recommend them to a friend. Dissatisfaction results from battery problems (19%), insufficient electricity (13%) and poor quality fluorescent lights (8%).

The PV Market Transformation Initiative (PVMTI, see article Building markets for PV in developing countries) will contribute to increased market growth and will also help supplier's executive quality control as well as technical management and marketing training.

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