How teacher uses physics practicals to power his mill and light up sleepy neighbourhoods

Philip "Chesulut" Kirui grinding maize at the electricity generating house cum posho mill. [Nikko Tanui, Standard]

As Kipsonoi River snakes its way through Bureti constituency of Kericho County, hundreds of residents have never thought of harnesing its raw power.

Instead, most villagers have been content to just drive their herds of cattle to drink its water and as a source for domestic use.

However, at Siongi village, in Cheborgei ward, Philip “Chesulut” Kirui has taken advantage of the rapids on the river which passes at the foot of his quarter acre piece of land. He has devised ways to generate electricity and operate a posho mill near Kipsimbiri–Kibugat bridge, some 12 kilometres from Litein town.

When we caught up with the mathematics and physics teacher at a local secondary school, he said the idea to harness the river crossed his mind 1996.

It was in response to the challenge of the distance local women and children had to walk in search of mills to grind their maize into flour in time for supper.

Water falls

“The power house-cum-posho mill runs on a simple concept. A concrete terrace leads water to a penstock, the water falls through a vertical height or head to gather energy,” explains Kirui.

“The lower end of the pen stock is attached to a turbine turned by the energy generated by the falling water. This spins the turbine which is connected to the mill and a generator capable of producing 5KVA to provide electric power,” he said.

Inspired by the success of the posho mill, Kirui expanded the project in 2002 and started supplying power to his business premises located at the nearby Kampala trading center.

“I also connected the power to my house as well as two other homesteads of my neighbours which are a stone throw away from the hydro project. I do not charge them for the power consumed,” said Kirui.

And expected of such a start up project, Kirui had to be innovative.

“For electricity cables, I used aluminum wires I collected from a scrap yard and erected ordinary wooden poles to support them,” he said.

However, even after investing a considerable amount of money in the project over the years, Kirui said he still needs a through upgrade.

All materials

“The water tunnel is leaking, the turbines are crudely made and their efficiency is compromised. Standard electric cables and poles are also required among other crucial items,” he said. 

The innovator argued that if he can get all the materials, the hydroelectric project has a capacity to produce a lot of power.

“Kipsonoi is a large river with a largely unexploited potential and can produce one megawatt of power with the standard equipment,” said Kirui. Nonetheless, the visionary teacher’s micro-hydro projects is more than that.

Kirui is also an environmentalist going by the conservation of a riparian forest along the river bank. “Local herbalists used the tiny forest as a source of medicinal roots, leaves and barks,” he said.