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Sun King EasyBuy solar in Kenya: total cost and what to ask (2026)

Sun King EasyBuy is a PayGo solar-home-system product from Greenlight Planet. Sun King is not in the CBK April 2026 non-deposit-taking credit register. This guide covers the pricing structure, financing multiple range, and the questions to ask before signing.

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by Reviewed by Michael Mwangi 11 min read Updated 26 August 2026Verified 26 Aug 2026

What Sun King EasyBuy is

Sun King (a trading brand of Greenlight Planet) sells off-grid solar home systems in Kenya and across sub-Saharan Africa. The core product for households without grid connection is a panel plus a battery pack plus a lighting and phone-charging kit, sold either cash or on a PayGo instalment plan branded EasyBuy.

The mechanic is the standard PayGo model:

  • Consumer pays a deposit at collection.
  • Consumer pays a scheduled instalment (typically daily or weekly) via M-PESA over a fixed term.
  • The unit contains an activation control that requires periodic renewal via payment.
  • On completion of the financed price the unit unlocks permanently and belongs to the household.

Structurally this mirrors M-KOPA's solar and phone products and, more distantly, the Safaricom Lipa Mdogo Mdogo phone product [compare Source 2]. The economic and technical model is proven at scale in the Kenyan off-grid market.

The pricing structure and what Sun King publishes

Sun King publishes at point of sale:

  • The deposit for each system tier.
  • The daily or weekly instalment for the standard EasyBuy term.
  • The term length.
  • The specifications: panel wattage, battery capacity, number of lights, whether a TV or radio is included.

What Sun King does not, as far as we can verify from public materials, publish is a headlined cash-equivalent price next to the financed price at the same channel, or a formal interest-rate or APR disclosure. Total repayable is arithmetically derivable (deposit plus every instalment) but is not always a headline figure at point of sale.

Based on Phase 1 structural analysis of Kenyan PayGo consumer products (Lipa Mdogo Mdogo, comparable device financing), the financing multiple on Kenyan PayGo consumer assets typically lands in the 1.5x to 2x cash-equivalent range. That is a market-structural observation, not a Sun King-specific disclosure. Apply it as a rough sanity check when you compare an EasyBuy quote to any available cash-retail alternative for a comparable specification of solar home system. Run your own numbers with the true cost of device finance calculator using the specific deposit and instalment figures Sun King quotes you.

Sun King and the CBK register

As of the CBK April 2026 published non-deposit-taking credit business register [Source 1]:

  • M-KOPA Loan Kenya Ltd is listed (licensed 30 January 2023).
  • Watu Credit Ltd is listed (licensed 5 June 2025).
  • Mogo Auto Ltd is listed (licensed 27 June 2024).
  • Sun King (Greenlight Planet) is not listed on the April 2026 register.

Non-listing is a factual public-record observation. It does not by itself allege illegality. The Business Laws (Amendment) Act, No. 20 of 2024 [Source 3] brought non-deposit-taking credit business (including asset-financing, PAYGo, and BNPL) under CBK supervision, and section 33S introduced penalties up to 3 years imprisonment or KES 5 million for unlicensed operation of that class of business. Whether a specific PayGo solar product falls within the classification of non-deposit-taking credit business under the Act is a fact-specific question that this guide does not adjudicate. What it can and should flag is that non-listing changes the consumer-protection posture.

Verify current CBK register status at our CBK licence checker and read is Sun King licensed in Kenya for the fuller treatment.

What changes for consumer protection

The CBK Digital Credit Providers Code of Conduct [Source 4] applies to CBK-licensed credit providers. It prohibits debt-shaming, contact with phone contacts, threats, false CRB listing, and out-of-hours calls. For non-CBK-registered entities, the Code is not the direct supervisory regime. Other Kenyan laws still apply (Consumer Protection Act, Competition Act, Data Protection Act, general criminal law), but the complaint pathway is different.

Practical implications:

  • CRB listing is not a direct-reporting pathway for a non-CBK-registered entity in the same way it is for a CBK-licensed lender.
  • CBK Consumer Protection on 0800 720 000 is designed for complaints about licensed entities; complaints about non-registered entities carrying on credit business route via a different Act-perimeter concern.
  • Consumer escalation typically uses COFEK, the Competition Authority of Kenya, the Small Claims Court, and DCI Cybercrime for genuine fraud.

See what to do if an unlicensed lender takes your money in Kenya for the fuller escalation ladder and why CBK licensing matters for borrowers for the honest scoping.

Questions to ask before signing an EasyBuy contract

  1. Total repayable amount. Deposit plus every scheduled instalment. Get in writing.
  2. Cash equivalent price. If Sun King sold the same system in cash, what would it cost? Ask for a written quote if possible.
  3. Schedule end date. Exact date of the final payment.
  4. What happens on a missed payment. Lock timing, grace period, late fees, escalation.
  5. Warranty on the panel and battery. Get the specific warranty terms in writing, including what happens if the battery fails within warranty during the financing term.
  6. Service network in your specific area. Sun King distribution networks vary by county. If a panel fails and the nearest agent is 200 km away, that is a material issue.
  7. What happens if I want to move house. Portability of the unit.
  8. Whether default will be reported to a CRB. If so, under which agency.
  9. The complaint escalation route. Formal steps Sun King commits to and timelines.

If you have no grid alternative

For households with no realistic grid connection prospect, solar home systems on PayGo terms often deliver real welfare gains (lighting, phone charging, education time in the evening, TV where affordable) that justify a 1.5x to 2x financing premium over cash prices they cannot access as lump sums. The critique of PayGo pricing transparency is not a critique of PayGo economics. It is a critique of point-of-sale disclosure. Both can be true.

The consumer decision worth making consciously is: given the total repayable, given the licensing posture, and given the service network in your area, is this the best deal available for the household need. The alternative is not necessarily "buy cash" (often not feasible), it may be "buy from a CBK-licensed PayGo competitor with similar specs."

Verify Sun King with CBK

Verify current CBK register status at our CBK licence checker. Read is Sun King licensed in Kenya for the licensing record and how to check if a lender is licensed in two minutes for the general verification workflow.

Sources appendix

  1. Central Bank of Kenya. Non-deposit-taking credit business register, April 2026 publication. Sun King (Greenlight Planet) not listed as at publication date. M-KOPA Loan Kenya Ltd listed with licence dated 30 January 2023; Watu Credit Ltd listed 5 June 2025; Mogo Auto Ltd listed 27 June 2024.
  2. Safaricom Lipa Mdogo Mdogo published Terms and Conditions. Cited for structural PayGo comparison.
  3. Business Laws (Amendment) Act, No. 20 of 2024 (Kenya). Framework and section 33S penalties.
  4. Central Bank of Kenya. Digital Credit Providers Code of Conduct. Applies to CBK-licensed credit providers.

Where a specific Sun King figure or process is not cited in this article, it is because Sun King does not publish it in a public Kenyan consumer-terms document as of the verification date. If you have a formal Sun King EasyBuy consumer T&Cs document that publishes the full pricing, warranty, default, or complaint framework, email the editor and we will update.

FAQ

What is Sun King EasyBuy?

A pay-as-you-go solar home system product sold by Greenlight Planet in Kenya. The consumer pays a deposit and a series of instalments to unlock and eventually own the solar unit.

Is Sun King in the CBK non-deposit-taking credit business register?

As of the CBK April 2026 published register, Sun King (Greenlight Planet) is not listed. This is a factual public-record observation, not an accusation of illegality; the classification of specific PayGo solar products under the Business Laws (Amendment) Act, No. 20 of 2024 is a fact-specific question.

What is the total cost of a Sun King EasyBuy system?

Not headlined by Sun King on a cash-vs-financed basis as far as we can verify. Total repayable equals the deposit plus every scheduled instalment. Financing multiples on Kenyan PayGo consumer products typically fall in the 1.5x to 2x cash-equivalent range based on Phase 1 structural analysis of comparable products.

Do I own the solar unit after final payment?

Yes, on completion of the financed price the unit unlocks permanently. Before final payment the unit is under the lender charge and stops working if payments are not made.

What should I ask before signing an EasyBuy contract?

Total repayable, cash equivalent price, schedule end date, what happens on a missed payment (lock timing, grace period), warranty terms on the panel and battery, service network coverage in your area, and whether default is reported to a CRB.

Related lending and consumer-protection guides

Further reading

Curated external sources we cite. Open in a new tab.