WINDHOEK — The City of Windhoek is set to electrify 4,000 informal houses over the next five years, aiming to address the significant backlog in access to electricity in the city’s underserved areas.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Urban and Rural Development Minister, Erastus Uutoni, announced the initiative at a groundbreaking ceremony in the Tobias Hainyeko Constituency on Wednesday. The event marked the commencement of a comprehensive electrification strategy by the City of Windhoek Council to integrate 4,000 previously un-electrified erven into the municipal power grid.

Minister Uutoni highlighted the financial aspects of the electrification efforts, noting that the municipality has earmarked N.dollars 3 million for immediate electrification projects. However, he emphasized that an estimated N.dollars 15 million to N.dollars 20 million per year would be necessary to achieve full electrification. Uutoni called on local financial institutions to support the funding of this critical infrastructure project.

“Electrification is essential to the well-being of our residents in all spheres of life and we must strive at all government tiers to mobilise for the much-needed financial support for such projects,” Uutoni stated.

Adding to the minister’s remarks, Windhoek Mayor Queen Kamati detailed further elements of the project, including individual electricity connections for 701 households in the Okuryangava, Havana, and Otjomuise areas. She also mentioned that 15 high mast lights would be installed in various informal sectors throughout Windhoek to improve community safety and connectivity.

Kamati explained that the electrification plan is also designed to curb illegal electrical connections and theft, enhance access to electrical services in informal areas, and assist the city council in understanding the costs associated with electrifying informal settlements to better guide funding strategies.