We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Finorah Manyala, Country Director of Solar Sister Kenya, to the position of Chief Operating Officer for Solar Sister’s global group of companies. Her first day in her new position is January 1, 2026.
WASHINGTON, DC, AND NAIROBI, KENYA, February 2, 2026
Solar Sister today announced that Country Director Solar Sister Kenya, Finorah Manyala, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer for the Solar Sister global group of companies, effective January 1, 2026.
Ms. Manyala started her journey with LivelyHoods in 2011 as an intern and played a significant role in growing the organization from a small start-up to a national social enterprise with 10 branches across Kenya. Over more than a decade, she moved through six leadership roles, including serving as Country Manager for LivelyHoods Kenya (2020–2022), where she helped guide the organization through an important period of growth and transition.
During this time, Ms. Manyala built strong operational and leadership experience across business development, communications, project and people management, finance, and monitoring and evaluation. Her leadership has consistently combined practical implementation with a clear focus on building systems and scaling sustainably.
“Finorah has demonstrated exceptional leadership and impact as Country Director in Kenya,” said CEO Olasimbo Sojinrin. “I’m incredibly proud of her achievements and excited to work even more closely with her in her new role as Chief Operating Officer as we lead Solar Sister into its next chapter.”
In 2022, Ms Manyala spearheaded the merger between LivelyHoods and Solar Sister, a landmark transition that led to the establishment of Solar Sister Kenya. She subsequently served as Country Director, overseeing operations nationwide and leading the organization through a period of integration, growth, and impact expansion.
In her new role, Ms. Manyala will work closely with teams across Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria to strengthen operations and ensure effective delivery across countries.
About Solar Sister: Solar Sister drives impact by investing in women’s clean energy businesses in off-grid communities in Africa. Solar Sister eradicates extreme energy poverty by empowering African women with economic opportunity, providing essential services and training that enable women entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses. Solar Sister is a climate solution that also improves human well-being, boosts equity, and helps usher in prosperity for people in sub-Saharan Africa who are least responsible for the climate crisis. To date, over 12,500 Solar Sister Entrepreneurs have reached more than 5.8 million people with access to clean energy. Products sold by Solar Sister Entrepreneurs have eliminated over 946,763 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions. www.solarsister.org
Media Contact:
Joanna B. Pinneo
+1 303-709-1569
joanna@solarsister.org
Joanna B. Pinneo
+1 303-709-1569
joanna@solarsister.org