President Uhuru Kenyatta: All schools to have power by April

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said all primary schools will be connected to electricity by April next year ahead of the laptops project roll out.

The laptops project has had false starts with tender cancellations and protracted court battles delaying its kick off.

The Jamhuri day statement revives talk on the stalled laptops project. The Ministry of Education is still grappling with initiation of the project after courts quashed Sh24.6 billion tender award to Indian firm. The project targets some 1.2 million children.

Rural Electrification Authority (REA) officials yesterday said out of 21,222 primary schools in the country, 48 per cent of the institutions representing 10,157 have already been connected.

REA board chairman Simon Gicharu said the remaining 6,065 will be connected in the 2014/2015 budget. The government allocated Sh12.6 billion towards electrification of these schools in the current financial year.

Gicharu challenged local communities around primary schools to take advantage of the electrification exercise to light up their homes. The board has in recent past been quoted saying they are working round the clock to ensure every corner of the country is connected to power to foster development.