Methodological Evaluation of Off-Grid Communities Systems in Kenya: A Randomized Field Trial for Measuring Yield Improvement

Off-grid communities in Kenya face challenges in accessing electricity, which impacts their agricultural productivity. A randomized field trial was conducted among off-grid communities in Kenya. Participants were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups, with interventions including solar-powered irrigation systems. Data on crop yields were collected over two growing seasons and analysed using a linear regression model (Y = β₀ + β₁ Intervention + ε), where Y represents yield, β₁ is the estimated effect of the intervention, and ε accounts for random errors. Solar-powered irrigation led to an average increase in maize yields by 25% compared to control groups (95% confidence interval: 7-43%). The randomized field trial demonstrated that off-grid communities can experience significant yield improvements with the right interventions. Further research should explore scalability and cost-effectiveness of solar-powered irrigation systems in diverse agricultural settings.