The government has officially launched the Kandutura Village Electrification Project in Laikipia North, marking a significant milestone in its quest for universal access to electricity.
The project, implemented under the Last Mile Connectivity initiative by the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), has connected 278 households to the national grid.
Valued at approximately Ksh 22.8 million, the government-funded project has brought power to the once off-grid Kandutura Shopping Centre and its surrounding community, a step hailed as transformative for the local economy.
During the launch by energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira, attention turned to Super Marti Barbershop, a newly established business now thriving thanks to reliable electricity.
Leaders present described it as a symbol of the life-changing impact rural electrification can have on households and small enterprises.
“This is the true face of economic empowerment,” said Wachira
“We are creating jobs, supporting small and medium-sized businesses, and lighting the path to inclusive growth.” he added.
Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere and Lamu County Woman Representative Hon. Monicah Muthoni praised the government’s commitment to rural development and thanked REREC for the timely delivery of the project.
The leaders noted that the Stima Mashinani initiative would empower residents by enabling them to start small businesses such as salons, barber shops, welding workshops, and other enterprises, thereby boosting household incomes.
“This project is a game changer for our people,” said Hon. Korere. “It is more than just lighting homes, it’s about lighting up livelihoods.”
The event was presided over by Principal Secretary for Energy Alex Wachira, with the support of PS for Wildlife Silvia Museiya Kihoro, and was attended by community members and other stakeholders.
The project is part of the government’s broader Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which places energy access at the heart of rural development.
As Kenya moves closer to achieving universal electrification, initiatives like the Kandutura project continue to demonstrate the tangible benefits of public investment in infrastructure, turning once-forgotten villages into hubs of opportunity
The Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP) has received a significant boost with a Sh1.85 billion grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Under Phase Five of the project, a total of 9,121 households in Nakuru, Kilifi, Kwale, and Nyandarua counties will be connected to the grid. This grant is part of JICA’s broader financing efforts for key energy projects in these regions.
“We anticipate connecting all targeted households across these four counties by January 2025. Our commitment is to accelerate electricity connections nationwide to achieve universal access,” said Eng. Rosemary Oduor, Kenya Power’s General Manager for Commercial Services and Sales.
“We are grateful to JICA for this grant, which will greatly enhance electricity access and transform lives.”
Eng. Oduor noted that the JICA grant follows Kenya Power’s recent signing of 26 contracts for Phase Four of the Last Mile Connectivity Project. Phase Four, funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union (EU), and the European Investment Bank (EIB), has a budget of Sh27 billion and aims to connect 280,000 new customers by November 2025.
“To date, the Last Mile Connectivity Project has received Sh73.1 billion in funding. It is a key component of the Kenya National Electrification Strategy, developed in 2015 to expedite electricity access for households and businesses,” said Eng. Oduor.
Since its inception in 2015, the project has significantly increased the electricity access rate, which now stands at 76 per cent with 9.6 million households connected to the grid. Under the first three phases, 746,867 households were connected at a cost of Ksh 51.1 billion.
“This success is due to optimizing existing distribution transformers and installing new ones to serve households beyond a 600-meter radius,” she explained.
Eng. Oduor added that Kenya Power has extended its transmission and distribution network to over 306,000 kilometres.
As of May 2024, the company serves over 9.62 million accounts, providing over 76 per cent of the population with access to the national grid.
Kenya Power aims to be the preferred energy solutions provider by offering sustainable, reliable service and supporting the country’s socio-economic development through innovation and technology.
President William Ruto has intensified his campaign for a substantial replenishment of the African Development Fund, underscoring the transformative impact of the Fund-backed projects in the country.
The Fund is the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group.
President Ruto reaffirmed his advocacy during a high-level meeting with Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, at State House, Nairobi on Thursday. Adesina was visiting Kenya to assess preparations for the Bank Group’s 59th Annual Meetings scheduled for the 27th to 31st of May.
He also engaged with media leaders at the AllAfrica Media Leaders’ Summit held in the city.
In his address at the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) meeting in Nairobi last month, President Ruto called for a substantial $25-billion 17th replenishment of the African Development Fund which supports 37 low-income countries across the continent.
The ongoing 16th replenishment which raised a historic $8.9 billion in December 2022 is set to conclude next year.
The Last Mile Connectivity Project has enabled 10 million households get access to electricity
“I will continue to make a strong case for the 17th replenishment of the African Development Fund. Kenya has benefitted from resources made available to us by the Fund,” said President Ruto.
He cited the Last Mile Connectivity project which has expanded from 2.5 million households connected to the national electricity grid in 2013/14 to more than 10 million.
“Kenyans know it is a government project, but they need to know it was financed by the African Development Fund,” President Ruto pointed out. “It is making a difference in people’s lives, and we want to invest more to add momentum.”
The Last Mile Connectivity Project has enabled 10 million households to get access to electricity, improve their living conditions and increase their income.
The discussions between the two leaders included increased investments in other crucial sectors like agriculture, a top priority for the Kenyan government due to its potential for rapid transformation.
President Ruto also emphasised the need for clean water provision and praised the African Development Bank-funded Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation program for its positive impact on millions of people.
Adesina reiterated the Bank’s commitment to collaborate with the Kenyan government in de-risking lending to agriculture through instruments like partial risk guarantees and credit guarantees. He highlighted their successful implementation in several other countries.
“We have used partial credit guarantees to support the issuance of $500 million Panda bond by Egypt. We also used this tool to de-risk a EUR 350 million sustainable development loan for Benin. We did the same for Côte d’Ivoire to support the mobilisation of EUR 533 million in financing for strategic environmental, social and governance projects,” said the Bank Group president.
Ethiopia expanded the cultivated wheat area from less than 5,000 hectares in 2018 to about 2 million hectares in 2024. It has become self-sufficient and a net exporter of wheat in just about four years.
Adesina said Kenya has potential to replicate Ethiopia’s success after deploying the Bank’s flagship Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT). Ethiopia expanded the cultivated wheat area from less than 5,000 hectares in 2018 to about 2 million hectares in 2024. It has become self-sufficient and a net exporter of wheat in just about four years.
The two leaders stressed the urgency of reforming the global financial architecture to address challenges such as climate change that are particularly affecting Africa.
President Ruto who was accompanied by among others, the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning Professor Njuguna Ndung’u, highlighted Kenya’s recent adverse experiences caused by extreme weather patterns.
“A year ago, we had drought that killed nearly 2.5 million livestock. Our economy lost $1.5 billion,” said Ruto. “Early this month, we experienced devastating floods that have claimed lives, swept away roads, schools and hospitals.”
Adesina expressed condolences to the President and the people of Kenya following the deaths and destruction caused by the floods.
African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina informed Kenyan President William Ruto that the Group’s Climate Action Window targeting Africa’s low-income countries is working to mobilise between $7 billion to $13 billion for climate adaptation.
The Bank Group president said because of the significant climate finance gap in Africa, the African Development Fund established a Climate Action Window under its 16th replenishment cycle. “This is the only concessional finance institution to create a window dedicated to climate financing,” Adesina said.
The initiative was established with an initial $429 million and is working to mobilise between $7 billion to $13 billion to support countries in times of emergency, climate adaptation and reduce the risk of debt distress due to climate investments.
He thanked President William Ruto and his government for their commitment to host the Bank Group’s 59th Annual Meetings from 27 to 31 May at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.
Adesina was accompanied by the Bank’s Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management Professor Kevin Urama, the Secretary General Professor Vincent Nmehielle, Executive Director for Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda Jonathan Nzayikorera and East Africa Regional Director General Nnenna Nwabufo, among others.
The government is targeting 100 per cent electrification for its citizens by 2030 through the Last Mile connectivity project.
Energy PS Alex Wachira says under the program being funded by the national government and partners like the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), European Investment Bank and the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA), every Kenyan will be connected to the national grid by the latest by 2030.
“Almost 75 per cent of Kenyans are now connected to electricity, with a majority of the remaining 25 per cent residing in rural areas,” he said.
The PS was speaking in Mwea Sub County when he accompanied his Crop Production counterpart Kello Harsama to an agricultural Expo, considering that electricity plays a major role in the farming value chain, especially the process of value addition on agricultural produce.
Responding to the effects of climate change, Wachira said the government is encouraging Kenyans to adopt clean cooking, adding that amid plans to increase forests and the country’s tree cover, cutting of trees for firewood would reduce gains already made, hence the need to use alternative sources, which are clean and environmentally friendly.
Wachira said they are rolling out demos to farmers and institutions with large stocks of cows on production and use of biogas as a source of energy.
“We are encouraging farmers and institutions with large numbers of cows to produce biogas as their source of energy, we are availing demos to them on how it works,” he said.
Biogas is clean renewable energy produced by decomposing organic waste.
On the recent power outage that engulfed several parts of the country, the PS said they had identified the cause of the problem and the government has since instituted remedial measures to prevent a recurrence of the same.
