By Brandon Moss

A recent study by the Africa Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) has revealed a significant uptick in solar energy reporting across East Africa, with coverage rising by 79% between 2023 and 2024. The research, conducted in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, highlights growing media attention to solar energy’s role in agriculture and rural development.

The report found that while most stories remain event-driven—often initiated by government and civil society—there’s a modest increase in enterprise and interpretive journalism. Newspapers like Daily Nation and Mwananchi led coverage in Kenya and Tanzania respectively, while Uganda Broadcasting Corporation dominated Uganda’s output.

Dr Darius Mukiza of the University of Dar es Salaam emphasized the importance of journalist training to deepen coverage quality. Tanzania Editors’ Forum Chairman Deudatius Balile echoed this, urging media houses to move beyond surface-level reporting and explore solar energy’s broader impact on food security and economic growth.

The findings underscore the media’s evolving role in shaping public discourse around renewable energy and its agricultural applications—an area ripe for deeper analysis and policy engagement.