Energy CS directed to reduce the cost of electricity

By Peter Ochieng

Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary (CS) Davis Chirchir has been directed to lower the cost of electricity.

During an emergency Cabinet meeting held on Monday, chaired by President William Ruto, it was agreed that electricity prices be lowered due to the increased use of hydro-generated power.

"To fortify the national response, Cabinet directs the Ministry of Energy to pass the benefit of lower electricity tariffs to the public in a manner that promotes the increased use of hydro-generated power, which has presently increased to 20 per cent while diesel has gone down from 15 per cent to 10 per cent," reads a dispatch from State House, Nairobi.

Meanwhile, 76 Kenyans have been killed by floods, mudslides and associated disasters, occasioned by the ongoing El Nino rains in several parts of the Country.

Hussein Mohamed, State House Spokesperson said that the Cabinet has come up with several interventions to help mitigate the effects of the El Nino on Kenyans.

"Cabinet noted with regret that we have lost 76 Kenyans to El Nino while 35,000 households have been displaced with the most severely affected areas are in North Eastern, Eastern and Coast regions,” said Mohamed.

"The meeting noted that 38 out of 47 counties are within the alarm stage, a stage characterised by flash floods, general flooding in low-lying plains, rivers bursting their banks, landslides and mudslides, loss of livestock and destruction of farmland and infrastructure," added the former Citizen TV news anchor.

He said that the government has allocated Sh7 billion to address effects of the rains.

"The resources committed will be applied for humanitarian response including distribution and supply of medical commodities, food and non-food items, rehabilitation of infrastructure and resettlement of displaced families.”

"To support farmers who have been adversely affected, the government has dispersed Ksh.500 million to New KCC to mop up excess milk during this rainy season. The government has also airlifted medical supplies worth Ksh.180 million through the KDF and in conjunction with Wajir county government,” he added.

The Spokesperson said that an ad-hoc Cabinet committee has been set up on disaster response, chaired by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.