Modelling a sustainability yardstick in modern energisation of rural sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract The bulk of rural Africa (as well as much of the third world) remains un-electrified and is underserved or poorly served by any other form of modern energy infrastructure. In case of a deep sub-Sahara African country like Kenya it is often dismissively argued that lack of finance and appropriate technology are the obvious causes. This argument would however not hold when applied to the more technologically advanced South Africa where a whopping 50% of rural households still suffer a similar fate. The common perception is that in the presence of modern technology the desired social change process will automatically commence. Unfortunately (and possibly due to pressure from donors) typical post project reports from the third world often contain deliberate commissions or omissions that essentially belie the grim reality on the ground. What seems to lack is a well-defined yardstick or standard check-off list as to the essential attributes of a sustainable energy dissemination project. Problems in modern society are now largely tackled using a wide range of software applications. However even with all the well-tested skills in computer coding endless consumer complaints abound. “Usability Engineering” is an example a state-of-the-art scientific tool that has been extensively used in recent times by the software design industry to tackle such problems as enhancement of the human/computer interface. This paper proposes that these modern scientific tools could be adopted to create a yardstick and break the intangible technological barrier to African rural modernization to better the lot of our communities.