An additional 280,000 households in 32 counties are set to be connected to the national grid following the signing of a new Sh27 billion Last Mile Connectivity Project contract.
President William Ruto said this will add to the 9.6 million Kenyan households that are already connected to electric power with a national access rate well mor than 75 per cent.
He said the government has the commitment of Sh2.5 billion to the new phase of connectivity while French Development Agency (FDA), the European Union and the European Investment Bank (EIB) will foot the remainder of the cost.
“I wish to express profound appreciation to our development partners for their consistent support throughout the course of this initiative and, in particular, to the FDA, EU and EIB for their support of this part of our plan,” Ruto said.
He spoke on Monday during the signing of the contract at State House, Nairobi.
“By standing with us in this initiative, our development partners have made an indelible contribution to Kenya’s economic transformation and inclusivity. Thank you very much,” added the President.
He said that with the new development, Kenya is now well on course to achieving 100 per cent connectivity by 2030 where every Kenyan household, regardless of location, will enjoy reliable and affordable power.
“As I speak, we are working on a similar connectivity programme worth Sh22 billion in partnership with the AfD and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to connect more than 270,000 customers,” he said.