In short: Solmast supplies solar street lights, steel poles and LED heads from Kunming, China, to Kenyan contractors and distributors, who bid as the locally registered tenderer. With each offer we provide the tender documents counties ask for, a lighting calculation with the IES file, an energy balance for the site and samples. Shipments go with a KEBS PVoC certificate of conformity arranged through an approved agency.
Kenyan counties are replacing grid street lights with solar to cut electricity bills, and national programmes add volume: Kiambu’s programme moved to a second phase of about 12,000 lights, a national housing framework buys solar street lighting for 10 years, and Eldoret’s solar street lighting PPP entered contract negotiation in April 2026.
What Kenyan tenders ask for, and what we provide
| Typical requirement | What we provide |
|---|---|
| Kenyan registration and e-GP supplier account | The bidder is your company; we support you as the manufacturer behind the bid. |
| Sample delivered before tender closing | Sample light shipped for your bid, with its datasheet. |
| Type test reports and lab accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025) | Test reports for the offered model, issued in the producing factory’s name with our authorisation; tell us the list and we confirm what is available for that model. |
| Manufacturer’s authorisation letter | Issued for the tender, naming your company and the tender number. |
| Warranty letter, often at least 5 years | Warranty terms stated in writing in the offer, with the battery sized for the end of the warranty. |
| Datasheet: LiFePO4 Wh, MPPT, IP65, panel W, LED lumens | Actual LED power, battery voltage and watt-hours, panel watts and dimming profile on one sheet. |
Sized for Nairobi
We simulated a solar street light night by night on ten years of NASA daily sunshine data (2015–2024). For Nairobi, the worst month averages 4.71 kWh/m²/day (June).
| Design | Dark nights per year in the simulation |
|---|---|
| Panel sized exactly to the worst month, 3 nights of battery | 7.0 |
| Panel 30 % larger, 2 nights of battery | 0.8 |
| Panel 30 % larger, 3 nights of battery (our usual design) | 0 |
Our own simulation; see how many days of autonomy a solar street light needs for the method. Every offer states the panel, battery and dimming profile so the result can be checked.
Recommended configurations
| Road | Typical class | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Residential street, market road | P3–P4 | All-in-one solar street light, 6–8 m pole |
| Town centre, collector road | P1–P2 or M5 | Split system or high-output all-in-one, 8–9 m pole |
| Main road, dual carriageway | M3–M4 | Split system with battery high on the pole, or grid LED street lights |
| Junctions, roundabouts, yards | C classes | High masts or double-arm poles |
Import documents
Lights imported into Kenya need a certificate of conformity under the KEBS PVoC programme, issued by an approved agency on test reports and a pre-shipment inspection. We prepare the documents with the agency before production so the shipment clears without delay.
How to order from Kenya
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Send the tender or road data | Bill of quantities, specification, road widths, pole spacing and the lighting class or lux target. |
| 2. Offer and engineering | Configuration, lighting calculation with IES file, energy balance for Nairobi, documents list and warranty terms. |
| 3. Samples | Sample light for your bid or approval. |
| 4. Order and production | Production to the approved sample; video updates on request. |
| 5. Inspection and certificate | Third-party inspection and the import certificate of conformity before shipment. |
| 6. Shipment | FOB, CIF or DAP, with packing list and installation guide. |
Our commitments
| Commitment | Detail |
|---|---|
| Reply and quotation | We reply within one working day and normally quote within two working days once we have the project data. |
| Engineering with the offer | A lighting calculation with the IES file and an energy balance for your site, so evaluators can check the design. |
| Samples | Samples or prototypes for approval before production, with photos and video. |
| Factory visit or video audit | Visit our partner production bases near Kunming, or ask for a live video tour of the workshops and your order. |
| Third-party inspection | SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek or your own inspector before shipment. |
| Terms | FOB, CIF or DAP quotations; OEM marking under your own brand on request. |
| First order from your market | Sample terms for a first order from a new market can be discussed, case by case. Ask us when you send the project. |
We work with contractors and distributors in Kenya. Distributors who want to carry Solmast under their own marking can ask about OEM supply. For the tender side, read our Kenya county tender checklist.