Rubis Energy Kenya has taken a minority stake of 49 percent in Rubisol, a solar joint venture firm created two years ago to tap into the growing uptake of green energy by homes and businesses in the East Africa region.
The majority shareholding is in the hands of Solarise Africa. Rubis and Solarise Africa launched the firm in November 2024 in efforts to grab a share of the growing uptake of solar power by families and those keen on easing reliance on the national grid.
Ownership details of the joint venture has been disclosed by Rubis, the parent firm of Rubis Energy Kenya. The capital invested in the business was not immediately clear.
Rubisol develops rooftop structure shades and ground-based facilities, helping customers to utilise the vast solar potential and reduce their monthly power bills.
Uptake of solar power plants is on the rise in Kenya, a market that Rubis is keen to tap into and boost its fortunes in the regional energy market. Rubis is the third biggest oil marketer in Kenya.
‘The group offers its professional customers solarisation of their assets through its subsidiary Rubisol. The objective is to develop rooftop facilities, shades and ground-based facilities to provide our customers with de-carbonised electricity under long-term contracts,’ Rubis says in its latest annual report for the year ended December 2025.
Solarise Africa is a pan-African company that manufactures solar and other clean energy appliances. The firm had 79 contracted sites across Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda and Uganda as at the end of 2024.
Rubisol is keen to deepen its presence in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda before venturing into the other markets in the region.
Rubisol recently set up a solar plant with 485 kilowatt-peak (kWp) for B. Braun Pharmaceuticals in Athi River in June last year.
High power bills and frequent blackouts are major drivers of the uptake of solar power plants in Kenya as homes and companies opt for reliable supplies besides cutting costs.
A report by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) shows that Solar photovoltaic systems make the highest contribution to the country’s captive generation capacity at 326.7 MW, which accounts for 51.86 percent of the total captive capacity as at December 2025.
Besides wealthy homes, firms such as Coca Cola, Bamburi Cement, carbon dioxide manufacturer Carbacid Investments, Africa Logistics Properties, Mombasa International Airport and International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology have installed solar power plants.
Increased presence in the solar market offers Rubis an opportunity to boost revenues.
in the wake of a stiff competition in its traditional forte of fossil fuels.
Rubis lost the largest market share among oil marketing companies (OMCs) in the six months to December 2025 with the firm’s share dropping to 13.77 percent from 15.43 percent a year earlier.
Besides Rubis, TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya is also diversifying from the fossil fuel market. TotalEnergies recently revealed that it has installed 30 charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) and motorbikes, through joint ventures.
TotalEnergies is the second biggest oil marketer in Kenya with a share of 14.01 percent, behind Vivo energy at 20.56 percent.