William Ruto's Cabinet Approves 180,500 New Electricity Connections in Last-Mile Project
- President William Ruto chaired a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 29, at State House, Nairobi and approved several policies
- The Cabinet revealed how Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will benefit under the Last Mile Connectivity Project
- The government plans to increase the country's power connectivity rate by targeting new connections in remote areas
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Following President William Ruto's Cabinet approval of its execution, the much-anticipated start of Phase III of the Last Mile Connectivity Project is scheduled for implementation.
Source: Twitter
The next phase aims to connect 180,500 households, schools, health facilities, and micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) to the electrical grid.
Who is funding LMCP Phase III?
Additionally, it seeks to improve the nation's electrical grid, especially in areas that are underdeveloped.
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The initiative, which will be carried out in collaboration with the Canada-AfDB Climate Fund and the African Development Bank (AfDB), aims to address enduring issues such as expensive connection fees, underutilised transformers, and poor infrastructure in isolated locations.
"On electrification, the Cabinet has given the nod to the implementation of Phase III of the Last Mile Connectivity Project, targeting 180,500 new electricity connections for households, schools, health centres, and MSMEs, while strengthening Kenya’s distribution grid," a Cabinet dispatch on Tuesday, July 29, stated.
How many MSMEs will benefit?
To provide a more dependable power supply, the project will also upgrade overloaded substations and maximise the utilisation of idle transformers.
Wide-ranging socioeconomic effects are anticipated.
It involves giving underserved populations access to inexpensive, clean energy, improving healthcare delivery through facilities that run around the clock, providing digital learning opportunities in schools, and enabling the expansion of over 10,500 MSMEs through increased three-phase power availability.
"The project addresses key challenges, including high connection costs, underutilised transformers, and weak infrastructure in remote areas. It will also optimise the use of idle transformers and reinforce strained substations to improve reliability," the statement added.
Source: Facebook
Which vacancies did KPLC announce on LMCP?
Under the Last-Mile Electricity Connectivity Project, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) asked Kenyans to apply for consulting services.
KPLC plans to hire a local specialist to help with project management and oversight after receiving a loan.
KPLC requested that interested consultants contact the general manager of logistics and supply chain to express their interest.
How is the last-mile project done?
Within 24 months, the project's scope is for connecting families within a 600-metre transformer distance and implementing system reinforcement projects throughout 45 counties.
Since the programme started in 2015, Kenya Power has connected 746,867 consumers to the national grid.
System reinforcements and grid extensions will be part of the LMCP's most recent phase.
As part of the project, 13 substations will be constructed and renovated: seven new 33kV switching stations, three new 33/11kV substations, and three existing 33/11kV substations will be improved.
Kenya plans to increase its power connectivity rate from 77% to 83% by the end of 2025.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
