Hopes for clean energy and regional development have dimmed in Guinea’s Kankan region, where the once-celebrated 35 MW solar power plant project in Karifamoriah has been left in limbo.
A full year after its highly publicised launch, the construction site remains dormant—sparking anger, frustration, and calls for justice from local residents who feel betrayed and forgotten.
The solar initiative, inaugurated with optimism on August 28, 2024, was intended to supply sustainable electricity to the towns of Kankan, Kouroussa, and Siguiri.
Backed by the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and entrusted to Portuguese contractor ENERSADO, the project was envisioned as a model for regional energy transformation.
But in the months since, the site has seen no meaningful progress.
Instead, residents of Karifamoriah say they have suffered devastating consequences from the land clearance and early development efforts. Fields have been flattened, fruit trees uprooted, and water sources allegedly destroyed—without any consultation or compensation.
“They came to measure, demarcate, and cut without warning us.
I’ve been living off this plantation since 1975.
We haven’t been paid anything. We’re just demanding our rights,” said Djeneba Mady Kaba, a local planter whose livelihood was upended by the stalled project.
Many families now face worsening conditions, including frequent flooding linked to the incomplete development works. What was once billed as a beacon of renewable energy is now seen by the community as a symbol of broken promises.
Locals continue to demand accountability from both the government and project partners, insisting on compensation and clarity about the future of the initiative. As silence prevails from official quarters, frustration grows in Karifamoriah—where dreams of electrification remain painfully out of reach.
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