At the beginning of Jubilee Party’s rule in Kenya, the govt embarked on a rural electrification drive.
Funded by the World Bank Group, most people were optimistic that the Last Mile Connectivity Project would be a success. However, despite the boasting by Deputy President William Ruto that electricity is now everywhere, some things have come back to bite and leave an egg on the face of the govt.
Billions of money have ended up in people’s pocket, electricity continues to be expensive and the Daily Nation reported a few months ago that rural people couldn’t afford electricity and thus the distributor, Kenya Power and Lighting Company PLC was removing its cables and transformers from those areas.
“Some did not need power in the first place, so when they have Sh100 for example, they would rather spend it on food. Others simply thought it was completely free and have never bought tokens after the free units were exhausted. They barely even understand that the meter is supposed to be paid for in instalments yet they signed agreements,” a KPLC manager based in the Eastern region told Daily Nation.
KPLC in its FAQ page said, all the beneficiaries under this scheme will be connected whether they have paid the contribution or not. Those unable to raise the Shs.15,000 at the time of connection will pay the contribution fee over 3 years.
ThisSh416 per month proved costly, turns out the government which lies about numbers in the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data didn’t know Kenyans were poor.
No electricity
Residents of Maregut village in Kabosgei Kerio location, Barwesa ward, have expressed their disappointment for what they have said the National government has neglected them in the last mile connectivity of power.
The residents have asked the area MP William Cheptumo to intervene the situation and arrange for them to get connected with electric power since they were in a process to get it but the connectivity stalled six kilometres away to their trading centre.
“It’s only our location which has not been Connected yet electric power is everywhere in Kerio valley, we have Maregut primary, Maregut dispensary and Maregut centre, business persons and the entire homesteads that in urgent need of power, it’s like we are not part of the citizens of this country,” said Francis Eli Eli.
Among the big four agendas of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto is for every Kenyan to get electricity within their area but it’s opposite in Maregot Location where Residents travel for 10 kilometres to the nearest centres of Kinyach, Chemintany, Kuikui and Ayatya to get electric power services.
