Esther Kiragu

Kenyan inventor revolutionizing agriculture through solar-powered irrigation

Esther Kiragu (born 1988) is a Kenyan agricultural engineer whose solar-powered irrigation systems have transformed farming in Sub-Saharan Africa. After witnessing crop failures due to drought while growing up in rural Kenya, she developed the SunFarmer system - an affordable solar irrigation kit that increases crop yields by 300%.

Innovations:
- Created the first solar irrigation system using recycled materials
- Founded Kiragu Technologies training 10,000+ farmers
- Partnered with World Bank to deploy systems across 15 African countries
- Featured in Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 (2020)
- Authored 《Sunrise on the Farm》 agriculture innovation guide

Her TED Talk Powering Farms with the Sun has 5 million views. The African Union adopted her model as part of its 2030 food security strategy.