More Kenyans Connected To The national Grid Through The Last Mile Connectivity Project.
Speaking at Kariaini Village in Naaro, Kandara Constituency,
Keter said that the project was part of the Jubilee Government promise to boost
electricity power connectivity, improve last-mile grid connectivity and take
steps to increase demand for electricity as many poor Kenyans as possible.
“Since independence, Murang’a County has had only 40,000
people connected to the national grid. However, in the last 3 years, the
government has been able to connect 100,000 households with electricity. We are
here today to commission this transformer that will connect 113 households with
electricity in the next two weeks at a cost of sh. 4.8million,” said Keter in
Naaro.
He notified the residents that the cost for installation of
electricity had been dropped from KSh35,000 to only KSh15,000 so as to speed up
the government’s agenda to have at least 70% of Kenyan households connected to
electricity by 2017. Currently, Keter said, the electricity connection in the
country was 55% up from 27% in 2013.
He added that those who were unable to pay the KSh15,000 at
one go would still get connected and have the option of making their payment by
instalments through their bills. He said that KPLC contractors on the ground would
ensure that all households near these transformers were connected to power
whether the owners have made applications or not.
“Our contractors will come knocking on your doors asking you
to allow them to connect your households to electricity. When any of you makes a request to be connected,
that single application will serve as a basis to install electricity in all
neighbouring homes. The Ministry of Energy has come up with designs that will
enable households that do not have internal wiring in their houses to use
electricity by providing a ‘ready board’” said the Minister.
The ready board has switches, sockets and bulb holders and
those who do not have wiring in their houses will be able to use electricity
soon as they are connected.
He asked the beneficiaries to take full advantage of the
connection to make business and increase productivity in their areas.
“Make use of this electricity to become busy with work by
creating job opportunities tour people participate in growing the economy, become
more productive and wealthier,” he said.
He promised to install more transformers in Mathuri, Kibuu
Nursery and Kianjoga of Naaro Location and several other places in Kariua
Division.
Area MP Alice Muthoni Wahome lamented that her constituency
was ranked the last in electricity connectivity in Murang’a County at 31% hence
appealed to the minister to commission more transformers in the area so as to
benefit more people. She thanked the Jubilee Government under the stewardship
of President Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto for their good work especially to
the people of Kandara Constituency.
“On behalf of the people of Kandara, I would like to thank
the Jubilee Government for the connectivity to the National Grid. By 2013, only
about 600 homes had electricity but under the stewardship of the president and
his deputy, we can comfortably say that more than 2000 households are now
connected to electricity,” said the MP.
After commissioning
the two projects in Kandara Constituency, the minister flew to Kigumo and Kieni
Constituencies for the same mission.
Present at the occasion were MPs Jamleck Kamau (Kigumo),
Kanini Kega (Kieni) and Njoroge Chege (Kasarani). Others were the PS State Department of Energy Eng. Joseph
Njoroge, His counterpart in the State
Department of Petroleum Andrew N. Kamau, Murang’a County Commissioner
and other local leaders.
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