A UK firm is to build a solar project worth $2.5 million (£1.7m) in Kenya.

Solarcentury claims it is the largest solar investment in the country so far.

The project will consist of two solar roof systems combined with a carpot and the third system will include a battery storage.

They will have a total capacity of 1,154kW at different sites of the Nairobi-based International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology.

Solarcentury will design the systems and will also be responsible for operating and maintaining them for the next five years.

Work will start in July and the solar systems are expected to start operating by October.

Guy Lawrence, Director at Solarcentury in East Africa said: “We are bringing our world-class engineering expertise to develop three systems, including what we believe to be the largest battery storage system for solar in east Africa. The awarding of this contract means that Solarcentury will have built the three largest PV systems in Kenya.”