SolarQuarter’s East Africa Leadership Night Shines Bright: A Grand Celebration of Solar Energy Excellence

Marking the third edition of The Solar Week Kenya 2024, the inaugural East Africa Leadership Night illuminated the event with its grand debut!

SolarQuarter’s East Africa Leadership Night 2024 unfolded in grandeur, uniting the most distinguished experts from the East Africa solar industry for an evening of celebration and recognition. Hosted at the prestigious venue of Emara Ole-Sereni in Nairobi, the event showcased the remarkable achievements of industry professionals and underscored the region’s commitment to advancing solar energy innovation.

Mr. Jonathan Mbutu, Manager of Alternative Energy, Rural Electrification & Renewable Energy Corporation, graced the inaugural East Africa Leadership Night as the esteemed Chief Guest. With his wealth of expertise and visionary insights, Mr. Mbutu delivered a captivating keynote speech, setting the tone for an evening of inspiration and celebration of solar energy excellence. His presence added a significant dimension to the event, further emphasizing its importance within the renewable energy community.

The evening’s highlight was the recognition of exceptional contributions to the solar energy sector through three prestigious award categories: the Women in New Energy (WiNE) East Africa Awards 2024, honoring the influential role of women in driving innovation; the Power 100 East Africa Awards 2024, celebrating visionaries steering the region towards a sustainable future; and the Grand Masters Awards 2024, acknowledging the achievements of industry stalwarts.

Here are the winners for the prestigious awards presented at the East Africa Leadership Night 2024.

Grand Masters Awards 2024:

• Mr. Bhavinkumar Chovatiya, Head of Engineering, Astonfield Solesa Solar Kenya Ltd.
• Mr. Onesmus Muli, Senior Sales Manager – East Africa, Jinko Solar
• Ms. Linet Moraa, Channel Business Manager, Hexing Technology Co. Ltd
• Ms. Irene Mutua, Senior Account Manager, Adrian Kenya Limited
• Mr. Clifford J. Aron, CEO, GreenMax Capital Group
• Mr. Victor Musau, Technical & Marketing Manager Africa, JA Solar
• Mr. Victor Koyier, Vice President Digital Power Smart PV Sub Saharan Africa
• Mr. Dalmus Mbai, CEO, Safer Power Ltd
• Mr. Jibril M. Omar, CEO, OFGEN Africa

Women in New Energy (WiNE) Awards 2024:

• Ms. Blen Genene Teshome, Chief Operations Officer
• Ms. Nikita Surty, Co-Founder & Business Head

Power 100 East Africa Awards 2024:

• Mr. Sebastian Noethlichs, CEO, Equator Energy
• Mr. Rupesh Hindocha, Founder and CEO, Starsight Premier Energy Group
• Mr. Bernard Osawa, Project Director & Partner, Frontier Energy
• Mr. Mohamed Jibril Omar, Chief Executive Officer, OFGEN
• Ms. Jenny Fletcher, Co-Founder and CEO, Ariya Finergy
• Mr. Peter Sweetnam, Technical Director, Solarpro Renewables LTD
• Mr. Bhavinkumar Chovatiya, Head of Engineering Delivery & Procurement, Astonfield Solar Africa
• Mr. Aaron Cheng, Chief Executive Officer, PowerGen Renewable Energy
• Ms. Catherine Irura, Managing Director, SOWITEC Kenya Limited
• Mr. Brian M. Omega, Regional Managing Director (East Africa), Soventix East Africa Limited
• Mr. Ryan Dunn, Chief Executive Officer, GridX Africa
• Mr. Nicholas Selby, Director of Engineering, Renewvia Solar Africa
• Ms. Elizabeth Hipwell, Chief Operations Officer, InfraCo Africa
• Mr. Mark Hankins, CEO, African Solar Designs Ltd.
• Ms. Kellie Gatwiri Murungi, Chief Investment Officer, East African Power
• Mr. David Thuo, Head of Service and Product Development, W. Giertsen Energy Solutions
• Ms. Sumaya Mahomed, Director, Wekeza Energy (Pty) Ltd.
• Ms. Pam Onyanyo, CEO/Founder, SkyEnergy Africa
• Mr. Brian Lukera Wambani, Investment Director, Camco
• Mr. Asteway Yigezu, CEO, APCON Enterprises Limited

“We are delighted to witness the success of the East Africa Leadership Night 2024 and the overwhelming support from the solar energy community,” said Mr. Varun Gulati, Founder & CEO, at FirstVIEW Group. “This event not only celebrates individual accomplishments but also fosters collaboration and collective action towards a greener, more sustainable future.”

The evening served as a beacon of inspiration, bringing together industry luminaries to celebrate the collective progress and achievements of the solar energy sector in East Africa. The event received widespread acclaim from industry leaders, who praised its significance in recognizing and celebrating the achievements of solar energy professionals.

The East Africa Leadership Night was lauded for its contributions to fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence within the renewable energy sector, solidifying its position as a landmark event in the industry calendar.

For further information on award recipients and event highlights, please visit the SolarQuarter Africa LinkedIn page here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/solarquarter-africa/