Solar powered phone launched in Kenya

You know what the best thing of Africa is, there is no shortage of sunshine and Kenya is utilizing this free source of energy which is abundantly available by launching a solar powered phone. Kenya’s leading mobile network operator Safaricom has launched a cheap solar-powered mobile phone aimed at primarily at users in the rural areas of Kenya. Kenya also plans to plant 7.6 billion trees over the next 20 years. Now that is really a very good move. The mobile handset will cost only US$ 39. With 18 million active mobile phone users in Kenya, the only sad part is that only 18% of the 36 million population have access to electricity and because of this they cannot charge their phones. During the launch, Kenya’s Environment Minister also announced that the country would plant 7.6 billion trees over the next 20 years to redress decades of chopping down forest cover, the effect of which is now being felt in acute water and power shortages.

Just 3 percent of land in the agriculture-based east African economy is covered by forests that are protected by the authorities, compared with a government target of 10 percent. The scheme will cost about 20 billion US dollars and would kick-off the project by planting trees along rivers. The cost of the tree planting project is nearly twice the government’s annual spending, which will be about 11 billion US dollars in fiscal 2009/10. The impact of forest destruction is being felt by Kenyans, with rivers drying up and hydro-electric power generation, farm production and tourism all suffering as a result.
[Mpelembe]