No favouritism in ‘Last Mile’ electricity connection, says Esipisu

Electricity poles at Muoroto slums in Tudor, Mombasa County. (Omondi Onyango/Standard)

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Administration has ensured equity in access to electricity through the Last Mile Connectivity Project and primary school connections, State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu has affirmed.

Saying Western, Eastern and Nyanza are among the regions that have witnessed the highest increase in new connections, Mr Esipisu dismissed – as baseless – any suggestion implying some parts of the country have been sidelined in the Government’s effort to improve the lives of Kenyans through provision of electricity.

He said: “Any persons or organisations insinuating that the Government’s effort to provide electricity could be skewed in favour of some regions do not know what they are talking about and could not be further from the truth.”

“President Kenyatta’s Administration is keen on ensuring that Kenyans have access to electricity to enable them engage in activities that will uplift their living standard. That is why there has been an aggressive and deliberate effort focused on scaling up connection to electricity across the country since coming to office in 2013,” Mr Esipisu said.

For instance, Mr Esipisu said, the status of connectivity in Homa Bay County in February 2017 was 47,212 households compared to only 11,071 in June 2013 – an addition of 36,141 connections. In Siaya County, the number was at 58,420 compared to 14,168 in June 2013 while in Kisumu County 172,027 households were connected in the same period compared to 42,177 in June 2013.

“This represents 326, 312 and 308 per cent increase in electricity connectivity in Homa Bay, Siaya and Kisumu respectively – the largest in terms of percentage increase in the whole country,” Mr Esipisu said.

In terms of connections to primary schools in Nyanza, the status in Homa Bay County by February 2017 was 914 schools connected compared to 212 in June 2013. During the same period, Siaya County had 674 schools on grid compared to 283 in June 2013 while Kisumu County had 577 connected compared to 254 in June 2013.

By February this year, the increase in terms of connectivity to primary schools in Homa Bay, Siaya and Kisumu stood at 331, 138 and 127 per cent respectively.

Giving a further breakdown, the State House Spokesperson said the four Western region counties of Vihiga, Busia, Bungoma and Kakamega are among top beneficiaries of Government’s effort to increase connection to electricity.

“By February this year, there were 52,313 households connected to electricity in Vihiga County compared to only 13,460 in June 2013. In Busia County, the numbers were 50,001 in February 2017 while those connected were only 14,892 in June 2013, Bungoma County had 57,956 in February 2017 compare to 20,159 in June 2013 while Kakamega the numbers were 78,785 compared to 31,824 in June 2013.”

“This represents an increase of 289, 236, 187 and 148 per cent in Vihiga, Busia, Bungoma and Kakamega counties respectively,” Mr Esipisu said.

For connectivity to primary schools in the Western region, the status in Bungoma County by February 2017 was 802 schools connected compared to 231 in June 2013 and Busia County had 458 compared to 166 in June 2013. During the same period, Kakamega County had 859 schools on grid compared to 409 in June 2013.

By February this year, the percentage increase in terms of connectivity to primary schools compared to what it was in 2013 in Bungoma, Busia and Kakamega counties stood at 247, 176 and 110 per cent respectively.

In the lower Eastern region, Mr Esipisu said in Kitui County, 39,872 households were connected to the grid as at February 2017, compared to only 14,495 in June 2013. In Makueni County, the number of connected households was 34,076 in February 2017 compare to 13,698 in June 2013 while in Machakos the connection stood at 124,550 in February 2017 compared to only 61,536 in June 2013.

“The increase in electricity connectivity here is 175, 149 and 102 per cent for Kitui, Makueni and Machakos respectively,” the State House Spokesperson said.

For connections to primary schools in the Lower Eastern region, the status in Kitui County by February 2017 was 1451 schools connected compared to only 210 in June 2013. During the same period, Makueni County had 879 schools on grid compared to 228 in June 2013 while Machakos County had 868 connected compared to only 363 in June 2013.

Mr Esipisu pointed out that households in counties like Kiambu, Nyeri and Meru registered an increase in electricity connection of 113, 107 and 101 per cent, which is relatively lower, compared to that of the counties of Nyanza, Western and Lower Eastern regions.