Hiring Contractors, Borehole Drillers & Solar Installers: The Licence Check (NCA, EPRA & WRA)

The single most common scam in upcountry Kenya is the borehole ghost rig. You sign a contract for KSh 1.2 million. The contractor says: "Tuma KSh 300,000 ya mafuta na ku dispatch rig kutoka Nairobi kesho asubuhi."

Two weeks pass. Every day brings a new excuse: "Rig ilivunjika spring kwa Barabara ya Narok," or "Driver amepata msiba." In reality, the contractor does not even own a drilling rig. They are a middleman trying to hire someone else's machine with your deposit.

Strict Kenyan Rule: Pay KSh 0 deposit until the physical drilling rig is parked on your shamba, the hydrogeological survey report is in your hand, and the Water Resources Authority (WRA) permit is stamped.

Under Kenyan law, solar PV installations must be carried out by a technician or contractor licensed by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).

Fake electricians will hook up 48V Lithium-ion battery banks with substandard undersized cables, risking massive electrical fires or destroying KSh 400,000 worth of solar inverters in 3 months.

Ask the contractor for their EPRA Solar PV Technician Practicing License (Class T1, T2, or T3) and verify it on the EPRA online portal.