Kenya Power has announced plans to connect 150,000 customers to the national grid under the sixth phase of the Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP), funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The project, which aims to benefit both households and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), will span 45 counties, excluding Nairobi and Mombasa.
Speaking about the project, Kenya Power’s Managing Director & CEO, Dr. (Eng.) Joseph Siror, said, “The Government of Kenya has received financing from the African Development Bank toward the cost of the implementation of the sixth phase of Last Mile Connectivity Project.
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 marks the third round of funding from the AfDB for the LMCP, following earlier support for Phases I and III, which connected a total of 536,077 customers to the grid.
Beyond the new connections, the current phase will also involve significant infrastructure upgrades, including system reinforcements and grid extensions.
Key components of the project include the construction of 13 substations, including three new 33/11kV substations, and the refurbishment of three existing substations.
The project will also feature the construction of 211 kilometers of 33kV lines and 14 kilometers of 11kV lines.
Additionally, 650 kilometers of 33kV lines and 6,798 kilometers of low-voltage network will be built to facilitate the last mile connections, boosting access to electricity for critical social services like education, healthcare, and water.
To launch the project, Kenya Power has invited bids for consultancy services to assist with technical designs, environmental and social performance audits, and oversight of construction works.
Since the Last Mile Connectivity Project began in 2015, Kenya Power has connected 746,867 customers to the grid.
The company is currently working on the fourth and fifth phases of the LMCP, which aim to connect an additional 280,000 and 11,000 customers, respectively.
The LMCP has received funding from multiple international partners, including the World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union (EU), and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
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