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Tag: PS Alex Wachira

  • 16,000 homes in Kitui set for power connection ahead of Mashujaa Day

    16,000 homes in Kitui set for power connection ahead of Mashujaa Day

    More than 16,000 households in Kitui are set to be connected to electricity under the last mile connectivity project as the county prepares to host this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations.

    Speaking during a tree planting exercise at Ithookwe Primary School in Kitui Central, Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira said the county has been allocated about Ksh2.2 billion to connect over 16,463 households to the national grid through last mile projects spread across all 11 sub-counties.

    “Our goal is to achieve 100 percent electricity access by 2030 and promote clean cooking to save our environment and reduce non-communicable diseases,” said Wachira.

    He added that the ministry is distributing clean cooking jikos and LPG gas at Kitui Teachers Training College to encourage the shift from wood fuel to cleaner alternatives.

    The PS said the government is also working to complete the Kitui-Wote and Mwingi-Kitui-Wote transmission lines to ensure a stable power supply in the region.

    Wachira noted that Kenya continues to lead the region in reliable and stable electricity, adding that power demand has risen from 2,149 megawatts in 2022 to about 2,392 megawatts this year due to industrial expansion.

    Meanwhile, Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rose Mkalama said the agency is implementing several last mile projects across Kitui as part of the 2025 Mashujaa Energy Week.

    “REREC is present in all eight constituencies in Kitui, where we have invested about Ksh2.3 billion to ensure every household has access to electricity,” said Mkalama.

    She said the agency has installed high mast lights in markets to boost business operations and is expanding the Matching Fund Programme jointly run with county governments and NG-CDF.

    “So far, we have partnered with 22 counties and are working to sign MoUs with all 47 to accelerate rural electrification across the country,” she said.

    REREC CEO Rose Mkalama //PHOTO: Jackson Mnyamwezi
  • Powering progress: Government lights up Kandutura Village with Ksh 22.8M electrification project

    Powering progress: Government lights up Kandutura Village with Ksh 22.8M electrification project

    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