E Muthui
Kenya’s increasing vulnerability to climate change and growing demand for sustainable technologies have created an urgent need for low-power, intelligent systems suited to rural and off-grid environments. This study introduces ECO-AI-KE, a Kenyanadapted Energy-Conscious Collaborative Optimization model de- signed to support sustainable agriculture and energy efficiency through embedded artificial intelligence. The model integrates three components: a Local Edge Learner for real-time data processing using TinyML, a Collaborative Update Engine that applies federated learning to train models across distributed farms or energy nodes without compromising data privacy, and a Green Scheduler that dynamically adjusts processing tasks based on available solar power. Data for model development and testing was collected from sensor deployments in Machakos, Kitui, and Nakuru counties, combined with solar and energy grid logs from Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) and the Strathmore Energy Research Centre. Public agricultural datasets from the Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organization
(KALRO) were also utilized for simulation and baseline training. Results from pilot tests showed a 40% reduction in water usage for irrigation, 36% faster AI inference compared to cloud-based systems, and 95% accuracy in predicting irrigation needs and voltage fluctuations. The model operated efficiently on solar-powered microcontrollers consuming less than 1W of power and achieved a 92% reduction in data transmission through federated learning. ECO-AI-KE demonstrates that scalable, low-cost, and environmentally conscious AI solutions can be effectively deployed in Kenya. This research supports Kenya’s Vision 2030 and global Sustainable Development Goals by promoting local AI innovation for climate resilience and sustainable development. The Kenyan government, research institutions, and technology stakeholders should invest in scaling and adapting such embedded AI models to other regions and sectors to support Vision 2030 and the SDGs on climate action, food security, and energy access.