Kenya Power rolls out Sh27b connectivity project

Kenya Power will embark on the fourth phase of the Last Mile Connectivity Programme in November this year at a cost of Sh26.8 billion.

The project will be financed by the Agence Française de Développement, the European Union and the European Investment Bank. It will connect an additional 280,473 Kenyan households to the National electricity grid in 32 targeted counties.

“The company has invited bids for turnkey contractors who will undertake the project at a total cost of Sh26.8 billion,” said KP in a statement.

KP said this phase of the project will entail installing 940 new transformers, maximisation of 3,735 existing ones, coupled with construction of associated power lines in the identified counties.

The flagship project was initiated in 2015 to provide affordable connection in rural and peri-urban areas to accelerate universal electricity access and drive social economic growth by supporting micro, small and medium enterprises, agriculture, health and education.

Positive gains

Over a million Kenyan households have so far been connected to electricity under the first three phases of the programme that was funded by the government, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank.

The first three phases have expanded the country’s network by 75 per cent from 29 per cent in 2012, with an AfDB evaluation indicating an 83 per cent increase in the use of electricity for lighting.

Data from KP also indicate that there have been positive gains from the project on the Company’s bottom line with sales accrued over four years totalling over Sh1.1 billion from 53.08 GHrs of electricity sold to customers connected under the programme over the period.