Kenya Power intends to ramp up its rural electrification drive, aiming to connect 150,000 additional customers to the grid under the sixth phase of its Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP).
The expansion, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), will cover 45 counties across Kenya, excluding the capital Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa.The latest phase represents the third round of AfDB financing for the LMCP, which has already brought power to more than half a million Kenyans under the initial phases.As part of the rollout, Kenya Power has opened bidding for consultancy services, seeking firms to conduct technical designs, and environmental and social performance audits, as well as oversee procurement and construction activities.
“The funding will go a long way to boost the ongoing national electrification efforts. It will also accelerate the attainment of universal access to electricity,” said Joseph Siror, Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Power.
The infrastructure buildout under the sixth phase will include the construction and refurbishment of 13 substations, comprising three new 33/11kV substations, upgrades to three existing ones, and the construction of seven new switching stations.
Additionally, Kenya Power plans to lay 211 kilometers of 33kV distribution lines and 14 kilometers of 11kV lines, along with 650 kilometers of medium-voltage and 6,798 kilometers of low-voltage networks.
The LMCP, first launched in 2015, has so far connected 746,867 customers, primarily in underserved rural areas. In addition to AfDB, the project has drawn funding from a host of global partners, including the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, Japan’s JICA, and the French Development Agency (AFD).
The company is currently implementing the fourth and fifth phases of the LMCP, which aim to connect another 291,000 customers in total.
The utility firm said that the new funding will accelerate the country’s efforts to achieve universal electricity access by 2030.