Kenya: Kenya Power To Connect 150,000 Customers Under Last Mile Connectivity Project

Kenya’s electricity distribution company, Kenya Power, has announced a plan to connect 150,000 customers to the national grid under the Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP) Phase VI, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The customers, comprising households and medium enterprises, will be spread across 45 counties, except Nairobi and Mombasa.

“The Government of Kenya has received financing from the African Development Bank toward the cost of the implementation of the sixth phase of the Last Mile Connectivity Project,” said Kenya Power’s Managing Director & CEO, Dr. (Eng.) Joseph Siror.

“The funding will go a long way to boost the ongoing national electrification efforts and accelerate the attainment of universal access to electricity by the year 2030.”

This is the third round of funding for the Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP) from AfDB, with the continental lender having funded Phase I and III of the project, where a total of 536,077 customers were connected.

In addition to the targeted customers, the latest phase of the LMCP will also entail system reinforcements and grid extensions.

The project will involve the construction and refurbishment of 13 substations (construction of three 33/11kV new substations, refurbishment and upgrade of three 33/11kV substations, and construction of seven new 33kV switching stations).

The project will also entail the construction of 211 kilometers and 14 kilometers of 33kV and 11kV distribution lines, respectively, to boost social infrastructure to serve education, healthcare, and water and sanitation.

Additionally, 650 kilometers of 33kV lines and 6,798 kilometers of low-voltage network will be constructed to facilitate last-mile connections.

To kick-start the LMCP Phase VI project, the Company has invited bids for project consultancy services. The consultant will undertake technical designs and environmental and social performance audits.

Further, they will provide support to the Company through procurement and supervision of construction works.

Since the inception of the Last Mile Connectivity Project in 2015, Kenya Power has connected 746,867 customers to the national grid. The Company is currently implementing the fourth and fifth phases of the LMCP, which seek to connect an additional 280,000 and 11,000 new customers to the grid, respectively.

Apart from the African Development Bank, the LMCP has also been funded by various lenders, including the Government of Kenya, the World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union (EU), and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com