Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja today inspected the newly installed 10MT solar-powered cold room pilot project at City Market.

The facility, which features an 18 kWp in-built solar system, is designed to enhance food storage for traders, reduce organic waste, and promote sustainability.

Speaking during the inspection, Governor Sakaja emphasized the importance of the project, stating that similar units will be implemented in other markets to help farmers and traders preserve perishable goods.

“The cold storage unit has an external volume of 67m³ and an internal capacity of 59m³. It is expected to serve 162 traders daily and divert approximately 100 tonnes of organic waste from landfills each year. This initiative is part of our ongoing efforts to modernize Nairobi’s markets and improve food security for both traders and consumers,” he said.

The Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to expanding the project across Nairobi.

“This facility will benefit many, and we will ensure its implementation in other markets, both in new constructions and existing ones,” he affirmed.

C40, a coalition of major cities around the world committed to fighting climate change, is sponsoring this solarization project.

C40 Executive Director Mark Watts, who accompanied the governor after the completion of the Green and Resilient UrbanShift Africa Forum, stated that the project will benefit traders and be inexpensive to maintain.

“This project is solar-powered, making it not only beneficial to traders but also cost-effective to maintain, as it operates solely on solar energy,” Watts said.

Traders at the market welcomed the initiative, noting that they have often been forced to discard food and perishable goods, but now they will have a way to preserve them.

“This is exactly what we needed. At least now we have a place to store our perishable goods, which means we’ll have more time to sell them,” said Mama Mbugua, a trader.