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Ruto signs Sh27bn electricity supply deal for 28,000 families in 32 counties

Officials sign a Sh27 billion deal under the Last Mile Connectivity Project, to supply electricity to 280,000 families in 32 counties, at the State House in Nairobi on May 27, 2024. (Photo: PCS)

By Lucy Mumbi | Tuesday, May 28, 2024

The president says Kenya is on course to achieve 100 per cent connectivity by 2030, lighting homes, enhancing educational opportunities, improving healthcare, and turning the entire country into a flourishing economic hub.

An additional 280,000 families in 32 counties will have access to electricity following the signing of a Sh27 billion contract under the Last Mile Connectivity Project.

President William Ruto made the announcement on Monday, noting that the extension of the electricity grid to rural and underserved areas bridges the development gap and effectively raises the overall rate of national productivity in several sectors.

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President William Ruto speaks at the State House in Nairobi on May 27, 2024, during the signing of a Sh27 billion deal under the Last Mile Connectivity Project. (Photo: PCS)

Ruto said this phase of the project has been made possible by the country’s commitment of Sh2.5 billion in funding, in addition to support from the Agence Française de Developpement (AFD), the European Union, and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

“I wish to express profound appreciation to our development partners for their consistent support throughout this initiative, in particular the AFD, the EU, and the EIB, for their support of this part of our plan,” he said during the signing ceremony at the State House in Nairobi.

Ruto further noted that Kenya has witnessed significant progress in its national electrification journey, raising the national access rate from 27 per cent in 2013 to over 75 per cent currently, the equivalent of 9.6 million families.

“In the beginning, this vision was seen not only as bold and ambitious [but also as] too audacious to be possible, but it has become possible due to a resolute commitment to deliver consistent investment of resources, and a determination to ensure that every Kenyan household, regardless of location, enjoys reliable and affordable power,” he said.

Electricity is the engine of our Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. We are establishing strong and sustainable partnerships with institutions that will increase power connectivity across the country.

The landmark move by the European Union, the European Investment Bank… pic.twitter.com/SZs3ivHKCZ
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) May 27, 2024

The president also said that Kenya is on course to achieve 100 per cent connectivity by 2030, lighting homes, empowering communities, enhancing educational opportunities, improving healthcare services, and turning the entire country into a flourishing economic hub.

“Universal access is fundamental to achieving economic inclusivity,” he said.

Ruto also announced a similar connectivity programme worth Sh22 billion in partnership with the AFD and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to supply electricity to more than 270,000 customers.