Kenya Power aims to connect 150,000 customers to the national grid under the Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP) Phase VI, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The customers, comprising households and MSMEs, will be spread across 45 counties, except Nairobi and Mombasa.
“The Government of Kenya has received financing from the African Development Bank toward the cost of implementing the sixth phase of the 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 2030,” said Kenya Power’s Managing Director & CEO, Dr. (Eng.) Joseph Siror.
This is the third round of funding for the Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP) from AfDB, with the continental lender having funded Phase I and III of the project, where a total of 536,077 customers were connected.
What does the Last Mile Connectivity Project entail?
In addition to the targeted customers, the latest phase of the LMCP will also entail system reinforcements as well as grid extensions.
This will involve construction and refurbishment of 13 substations (construction of three 33/11kV new substations, refurbishment and upgrade of three 33/11kV substations and construction of seven new 33kV new switching stations).
The project will also entail the construction of 211 kilometres and 14 kilometres of 33kV and 11kV distribution lines, respectively, to boost the social infrastructure to serve education, healthcare, and water and sanitation.
Additionally, 650 kilometres of 33kV lines and 6,798 kilometres of low voltage network will be constructed to facilitate the last mile connections. To kick-start the LMCP Phase VI project, the Company has invited bids for project consultancy services.
The consultant will undertake technical designs as well as environmental and social performance audits. Further, they will provide support to the Company through procurement and supervision of construction works.
How many customers has Kenya Power connected under the Last Mile Connectivity Project?
Since the inception of the Last Mile Connectivity Project in 2015, so far, Kenya Power has connected 746,867 customers to the national grid.
The Company is currently implementing the fourth and fifth phases of the LMCP, which seek to connect an additional 280,000 and 11,000 new customers to the grid, respectively.
Apart from the African Development Bank, the LMCP has also been funded by various lenders, including the Government of Kenya, the World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union (EU) and the European Investment Bank (EIB)
