Kenya’s Ambitious Electricity Project Aims to Light Up Rural Areas
In a significant move to enhance electricity access across rural Kenya, the government has announced a new project that is set to connect about five million households to electricity. This initiative comes with a budget of 114 billion Kenyan Shillings (approximately $880 million), largely backed by the World Bank.
The project, named Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Transformation (ASCENT-Kenya), is part of Kenya’s ongoing efforts to achieve universal electricity coverage by the year 2030. Alongside household connections, the plan includes providing electricity to 7,500 public schools and 2,500 healthcare facilities, which is expected to greatly improve service delivery in these vital sectors.
As of early 2024, Kenya’s electricity coverage was at 74%. However, there are still 13 million people, mainly in remote and semi-arid regions, who do not have reliable access to power. The ASCENT-Kenya project aims to address this gap by incorporating various strategies, including transforming existing diesel-powered mini-grids into solar-powered ones, building new solar mini-grids, and promoting the use of clean cooking appliances. There are also plans to set up battery storage systems for renewable energy.
The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum highlighted that this initiative is crucial for accelerating efforts towards universal electricity access before the 2030 goal. Improving access to clean cooking technologies is another important objective of the project, especially for those living in arid areas with limited energy options.
The new electricity connections are expected to not only enhance the quality of life for many Kenyans but also boost the revenue for Kenya Power. The International Development Association (IDA), a branch of the World Bank, is contributing $450 million to this project, which accounts for just over half of the total funding. Additional co-financiers will contribute the remaining $430 million, helping to bring electricity to more homes and public facilities beyond the existing national grid.
Despite Kenya’s ambitious target for universal electricity access by 2030, progress has faced challenges, including a slowdown in new connections and less funding from the government. Currently, more than 10.2 million customers are connected to Kenya Power, and this number is poised to rise significantly with the implementation of ASCENT-Kenya.
Past initiatives like the Last Mile Connectivity project and the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP), which have received substantial funding from the World Bank and the African Development Bank, have successfully facilitated new connections in recent years. The Last Mile Connectivity initiative allows customers located within 600 meters of designated transformers to connect affordably, while KOSAP installs mini-grids powered by either solar or diesel.
For Last Mile Connectivity, half of the amount paid for each electricity token goes toward repaying a discounted connection fee. The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum estimates that reaching universal electricity access in Kenya may require around $1 billion, highlighting the ongoing dependency on support from international development partners like the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
