How private operators are powering off-grid communities

Speaking to ESI Africa at Enlit Africa 2025, Mwesigwa said successful mini-grid development requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders

Patrick Mwesigwa, Managing Director of Kanara Solutions and a certified Public-Private Partnership (PPP) specialist, highlights the growing role of private operators in expanding electricity access through mini-grid projects.

“Mini-grid projects are electricity access projects that tend to happen in places where the main grid may not reach quickly or easily.

“Yet sometimes there is some kind of anchor load or economic and social activity that is happening in that area and they need to be served.”

Speaking to ESI Africa at Enlit Africa 2025, Mwesigwa said successful mini-grid development requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders.

“You have financiers on one hand, and on the other, public authorities or governments to ensure that the project comes together, contributions from government or public entities often include land, schools, hospitals, or other committed large loads that anchor the project.”

In such contexts, he said, private operators take the lead in initiating development while negotiating with all parties involved. This approach ensures that mini-grids are both financially viable and socially impactful, bringing reliable electricity to communities that might otherwise remain off-grid.

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