The Micro-Grid Academy (MGA) held its official opening ceremony on Monday 22nd January 2018 at the KPLC Institute of Energy Studies & Research (IESR), Ruaraka, Nairobi. The event included a site visit gathering 40 international stakeholders to the future MGA venue and a certification ceremony of the first MGA’s students.
The MGA is a new capacity building platform that provides theoretical and practical trainings on energy access and decentralized renewable energy solutions to young East-African and international technicians and engineers.  This first course (January 15th -25th) was hosted at the KPLC-IESR, Strathmore University, St. Kizito and UN-Habitat premises.  Lecturers were drawn from IESR, Strathmore University, GIZ, St.Kizito VTI, UN Habitat, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Columbia University, State University of New York, Sapienza University of Rome and RES4Africa.
The site visit was coordinated by Mr.Nino Cirrincione the technical coordinator of the MGA and John Chege the Head of Renewable Energy Department-IESR. The occasion was graced by high-level speeches given by Mr. Mauro Massoni - Ambassador of Italy to Kenya, Dr. Francesco La Camera - Director for Sustainable Development of the Italian Ministry of Environment and Dr. Jeremiah Kiplagat – Director, Kenya Power International among others.  Prof. Andrea Micangeli delivered the certificates of attendance to the students coming from Italy, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, after completing the first MGA course cycle. Mr. Roberto Vigotti, RES4Africa Secretary General, concluded the ceremony with closing remarks, confirming the unique added value of a real regional capacity building project in the name of MGA.
Mr. Marco Aresti, who is responsible of access to energy at RES4Africa, declared that the MGA project was initiated as a result of the RES4Africa launch in 2016 and the official launch during the RES4Africa G7 Energy Side Event on 9 April 2017 in Rome, to accelerate the uptake of decentralized energy and rural electrification in East-Africa.