120 places · sun position · panel angle
Solar data for Kenya
Across the 120 places in Kenya the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 0° in Nairobi to 7° in Mandera, and flat ground gets 5.5 to 6.3 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.
Solar power in Kenya at a glance
Averages over 120 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing the equator.
- 5.47–5.64
- 5.64–5.82
- 5.82–5.99
- 5.99–6.16
- 6.16–6.33
Peak sun hours a day on flat ground. Each dot is one place.
The sunniest place in Kenya is Lodwar (Turkana County) with 6.33 peak sun hours a day on flat ground; the least sunny is Taveta with 5.47. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 1,613 kWh a year in Taveta to 1,821 kWh in Maralal — 1,717 kWh on average.
The best year-round tilt runs from 0° in Nairobi to 7° in Mandera. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 8° on average: at 70° that month brings 0.90 kWh per kWp a day in Maralal and 1.17 kWh in Takaba.
Size an off-grid system or open any place below for its sun path, monthly table and tilt curve.
Sunniest places in Kenya
Ranked by peak sun hours on flat ground: the yearly average of a day's sunshine energy (NASA POWER climatology). Output: 1 kWp at its best year-round angle.
| Rank | Place | Region | Sun hours/day | kWh per kWp a year | Best tilt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lodwar | Turkana County | 6.33 | 1,818 | 4° |
| 2 | Maralal | Samburu County | 6.21 | 1,821 | 2° |
| 3 | Garba Tula | Isiolo County | 6.16 | 1,779 | 1° |
| 4 | Marsabit | Marsabit County | 6.12 | 1,764 | 3° |
| 5 | Isiolo | Isiolo County | 6.10 | 1,798 | 1° |
| 6 | Maua | Meru County | 6.04 | 1,767 | 1° |
| 7 | Kabarnet | Baringo | 6.03 | 1,801 | 2° |
| 8 | Homa Bay | Homa Bay County | 6.02 | 1,773 | 0° |
| 8 | Mandera | Mandera County | 6.02 | 1,742 | 7° |
| 8 | Habaswein | Wajir County | 6.02 | 1,731 | 2° |
Least sunny places in Kenya
Solar by region in Kenya
Averages of the places in each region, sunniest first. Darkest month: what 1 kWp of off-grid panels at 70° makes a day in the worst month of the year.
| Region | Places | Sun hours/day | kWh per kWp a year | Best tilt | Darkest month at 70° | Sunniest place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samburu County | 1 | 6.21 | 1,821 | 2° | 0.90 kWh | Maralal |
| Turkana County | 2 | 6.17 | 1,778 | 5° | 1.02 kWh | Lodwar |
| Isiolo County | 2 | 6.13 | 1,788 | 1° | 0.93 kWh | Garba Tula |
| Elegeyo-Marakwet | 1 | 6.01 | 1,790 | 2° | 0.98 kWh | Iten |
| Homa Bay County | 3 | 6.00 | 1,771 | 0° | 0.92 kWh | Homa Bay |
| Lamu | 1 | 5.99 | 1,732 | 1° | 1.00 kWh | Lamu |
| West Pokot County | 2 | 5.98 | 1,762 | 2° | 0.99 kWh | Kapenguria |
| Migori County | 5 | 5.98 | 1,766 | 1° | 0.98 kWh | Rongo |
| Baringo | 2 | 5.97 | 1,788 | 2° | 0.98 kWh | Kabarnet |
| Uasin Gishu County | 2 | 5.97 | 1,776 | 2° | 0.99 kWh | Eldoret |
| Kisii County | 2 | 5.97 | 1,771 | 1° | 0.96 kWh | Ogembo |
| Meru County | 2 | 5.97 | 1,754 | 1° | 0.96 kWh | Maua |
| Trans Nzoia | 2 | 5.95 | 1,762 | 2° | 1.00 kWh | Kitale |
| Vihiga County | 1 | 5.93 | 1,763 | 1° | 1.00 kWh | Mbale |
| Nandi | 1 | 5.93 | 1,771 | 1° | 1.00 kWh | Kapsabet |
| Wajir County | 2 | 5.93 | 1,705 | 3° | 1.01 kWh | Habaswein |
| Nyamira county | 1 | 5.93 | 1,768 | 0° | 0.96 kWh | Nyamira |
| Kisumu County | 2 | 5.92 | 1,767 | 0° | 0.96 kWh | Kisumu |
| Siaya County | 2 | 5.91 | 1,746 | 1° | 0.97 kWh | Bondo |
| Kakamega County | 3 | 5.91 | 1,757 | 1° | 1.01 kWh | Kakamega |
| Bungoma County | 3 | 5.90 | 1,754 | 2° | 1.02 kWh | Webuye |
| Laikipia | 2 | 5.90 | 1,759 | 1° | 0.98 kWh | Nyahururu |
| Narok County | 1 | 5.88 | 1,766 | 0° | 0.97 kWh | Narok |
| Garissa County | 1 | 5.87 | 1,690 | 0° | 1.00 kWh | Garissa |
| Busia County | 3 | 5.86 | 1,736 | 2° | 1.03 kWh | Lugulu |
| Kericho County | 1 | 5.85 | 1,761 | 0° | 0.99 kWh | Kericho |
| Marsabit County | 2 | 5.85 | 1,700 | 5° | 1.05 kWh | Marsabit |
| Nyandarua County | 3 | 5.84 | 1,753 | 0° | 0.96 kWh | Mairo Inya |
| Mandera County | 5 | 5.83 | 1,691 | 7° | 1.14 kWh | Mandera |
| Kajiado County | 5 | 5.77 | 1,708 | 0° | 0.93 kWh | Kajiado |
| Nakuru County | 9 | 5.77 | 1,736 | 0° | 0.97 kWh | Rongai |
| Kiambu County | 7 | 5.72 | 1,701 | 0° | 0.94 kWh | Kikuyu |
| Kilifi County | 5 | 5.71 | 1,657 | 2° | 1.01 kWh | Malindi |
| Nairobi County | 3 | 5.71 | 1,695 | 0° | 0.95 kWh | Nairobi |
| Machakos County | 6 | 5.70 | 1,686 | 0° | 0.96 kWh | Athi River |
| Kitui County | 2 | 5.67 | 1,660 | 0° | 1.03 kWh | Mwingi |
| Mombasa County | 2 | 5.66 | 1,642 | 3° | 1.01 kWh | Mombasa |
| Tharaka - Nithi | 1 | 5.66 | 1,671 | 0° | 0.98 kWh | Chuka |
| Kwale County | 3 | 5.65 | 1,638 | 3° | 1.01 kWh | Ukunda |
| Makueni County | 4 | 5.65 | 1,662 | 0° | 1.00 kWh | Emali |
| Tana River County | 2 | 5.62 | 1,621 | 1° | 1.05 kWh | Masalani |
| Nyeri County | 3 | 5.62 | 1,680 | 0° | 0.98 kWh | Tetu |
| Murang'A | 3 | 5.61 | 1,668 | 0° | 0.98 kWh | Kenol |
| Kirinyaga County | 2 | 5.55 | 1,649 | 0° | 0.99 kWh | Wanguru |
| Taita Taveta | 2 | 5.54 | 1,627 | 2° | 1.05 kWh | Voi |
| Embu County | 1 | 5.51 | 1,636 | 0° | 0.99 kWh | Embu |
Largest places in Kenya at a glance
| Place | Latitude | Best tilt | Off-grid tilt | Sun hours/day (flat) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi | 1.3° S | 0° | 14° | 5.74 |
| Kakamega | 0.3° N | 1° | 0° | 5.92 |
| Mombasa | 4.1° S | 3° | 16° | 5.68 |
| Nakuru | 0.3° S | 0° | 6° | 5.79 |
| Ruiru | 1.1° S | 0° | 15° | 5.69 |
| Eldoret | 0.5° N | 2° | 0° | 5.97 |
| Kisumu | 0.1° S | 0° | 6° | 5.94 |
| Kikuyu | 1.2° S | 0° | 13° | 5.76 |
| Thika | 1.0° S | 0° | 16° | 5.66 |
| Naivasha | 0.7° S | 0° | 7° | 5.72 |
| Karuri | 1.2° S | 0° | 13° | 5.73 |
| Karuri | 0.7° S | 0° | 16° | 5.59 |
| Matuga | 4.2° S | 3° | 17° | 5.66 |
| Mwala | 1.4° S | 0° | 20° | 5.65 |
| Ongata Rongai | 1.4° S | 0° | 14° | 5.76 |
| Jomvu | 4.0° S | 3° | 16° | 5.65 |
| Garissa | 0.5° S | 0° | 5° | 5.87 |
| Kitale | 1.0° N | 2° | 0° | 5.96 |
| Limuru | 1.1° S | 0° | 12° | 5.74 |
| Juja | 1.1° S | 0° | 15° | 5.68 |
Daylight and clock time in Kenya
In Mandera (3.9° N), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 12 h 21 min and the shortest 11 h 54 min; in Ukunda (4.3° S), the southernmost, 12 h 22 min and 11 h 52 min. Kenya does not use daylight saving time: the clocks stay the same all year.
| Time zone | Places | UTC offset | Clocks change in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa/Nairobi | 120 | UTC+3 | no daylight saving time |