REREC targets to increase power connection at rural Kenya to 78 percent

Murang’a,

Sunday, July 7, 2024

KNA by Bernard Munyao

The Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) is seeking approval of a Sh14.5 billion in the current financial year to facilitate power connection in rural areas.

 If approved, the fund will enable the corporation to connect 690, 000 households from rural areas with electricity.

Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira on Saturday observed that currently power connection in rural areas is at about 75 percent and with approval of the funds, REREC will strive to increase the connections to more than 78 percent by closure of the financial year.

Wachira who spoke at Mugira village of Muragua constituency when he launched a power project, said increased electricity connections especially in rural areas will spur economic growth and create more employment opportunities.

He said REREC is targeting to attain 100 percent power connection in rural Kenya by 2030, an initiative that will require more than Sh42 billion.

 “With the ongoing power connections projects in various rural parts, we target to attain 78 percent by closure of this financial year but this will be realized if the amount we need will be approved by the national treasury.

“Increase of power connections in rural areas is aimed at boosting economic growth and creation of employment since some projects and income generating initiatives depend on electricity supply, “he added during an occasion he co-hosted with Maragua MP, Mary Waithera.

The PS further noted that theft of transformers and vandalization of power infrastructure that had cost the Energy Ministry Sh2 billion every year has gone down calling on residents to be on the lookout on anybody vandalizing the power infrastructure.

 “As a country we witnessed increased vandalism of power infrastructure especially last year and early this year. With collaboration with key stakeholders, the crime has gone down and we are working to stop and end the vandalism completely.

“Theft of transforms and cables among other equipment have caused the Kenya Power Company to incur huge losses per year. We appeal to residents to help us to stop this crime,” added Wachira.

At Maragua constituency, Wachira launched a Sh10 million power connection project that will see 130 homes connected within Makuyu ward.

He pointed out that Murang’a County since last financial year has benefited with a power connection project worth Sh597 million that has seen over 15,000 homesteads access electrical power.

Maragua MP on her part lauded the government’s initiative of increasing power connections in rural areas of the country saying in her constituency three villages of Mugira, Mathingira and Kanderendu have already been connected to electricity.

She observed that Maragua is one of the areas that is in dire need of power connections having 55 percent power connections currently.

Residents of Mugira village narrated how they used lumps to light their houses at night especially when their children were doing homework from school.

They added that insecurity in the area will drop with the residents promising to open up businesses that use power as a source of energy.

Courtesy; KNA