Kenya Power has initiated Phase V of the Last Mile Connectivity Project, backed by a Sh1.85 billion grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This phase aims to connect 9,121 households to the national grid across four counties: Nakuru, Kilifi, Kwale, and Nyandarua.
Rosemary Oduor, Kenya Power’s General Manager for Commercial Services and Sales, announced that the company anticipates completing these connections by January 2025. She emphasized the company’s commitment to accelerating electricity access nationwide to achieve universal coverage.
“We are grateful to JICA for this grant, which will significantly enhance access to electricity and improve livelihoods for the targeted households,” Oduor stated.
This grant follows Kenya Power’s recent signing of 26 contracts for Phase IV of the project, funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union (EU), and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The Sh27 billion Phase IV project aims to connect 280,000 new customers to the grid by November 2025.
To date, the Last Mile Connectivity Project has received Sh73.1 billion in funding and is a key component of Kenya’s National Electrification Strategy, established in 2015. The project, managed by Kenya Power on behalf of the government, has played a crucial role in increasing electricity access, with the current rate at 76 percent, translating to 9.6 million households connected to the grid.
The first three phases of the project have connected 746,867 households at a cost of Sh51.1 billion. Success is attributed to optimizing existing distribution transformers and installing new ones to extend service to households beyond a 600-meter radius from existing transformers.
