Busia County Launches Sh75.2 Million Electrification Partnership with REREC

BUSIA, Kenya — Busia County has embarked on a significant electrification initiative, aiming to connect 667 households to the national grid through a Sh75.2 million partnership with the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC).

According to Kenya News Agency, the project will illuminate 24 schemes across five sub-counties: Samia, Matayos, Teso North, Teso South, and Butula, within the forthcoming three weeks.

The collaboration, announced by Busia Governor Paul Otuoma, involves a financial commitment of Sh40.2 million from the county government, with REREC contributing an additional Sh35 million. The unveiling event highlighted the project’s objectives to bridge the energy gap in rural and underserved areas, facilitating local development and economic activities. “We still have got many areas to cover,” Otuoma noted, appreciating the national government’s support through REREC for the larger Sh360 million electrification projects planned within the county for the current fiscal year.

Otuoma also called for other counties to engage in similar collaborations with the national government and REREC to expedite grid connectivity, particularly highlighting the energy needs of emerging Industrial Parks and Export Processing Zones, as well as rural areas focusing on value addition through aggregation. Emphasizing the role of electricity in skill development for youth in vocational training centers, the governor underscored the necessity of energy for ward-based economic revitalization and the success of the county’s flagship blue economy project.

The governor urged residents to safeguard the government-funded projects against vandalism and illegal connections, which he said hinder progress. He appealed to REREC to work closely with the Kenya Power Company to ensure the metering process is expedited post-connection, to enable immediate use of electricity by the beneficiaries.

REREC’s Acting General Manager for Information, Education, and Communication, Mrs. Beatrice Njuguna, affirmed the corporation’s dedication to the partnership, aiming to accelerate national electrification efforts. Njuguna noted that, aside from Busia, other counties like Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, and Makueni have also engaged in the matching program, demonstrating a collective effort towards achieving widespread electrification in Kenya.

The project encompasses the electrification of primary schools, mini-grid development, market and water point electrification, dispensaries, network boosters, churches, and other public facilities across selected wards in Busia County. Since the 2016/2017 Fiscal Year, REREC has completed 116 schemes and connected over 2,200 households, with a combined investment of Sh292 million from the county government and REREC to date. For the Financial Year 2023/24, the county has allocated an additional Sh53 million to expand the ongoing project, currently in the design phase, further committing to the region’s development and well-being.