ELECTRICITY FIRM TO CONNECT 1.5M KENYANS BY FEBRUARY

President Uhuru Kenyatta switches on the power connection in a house of one of the beneficiaries of the Last Mile Connectivity Project. Looking on are Energy CS Charles Keter and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

By MATHIAS RINGA
At least 1.5 million more Kenyans are set to benefit from electricity connection by February next year, when Kenya Power completes a Sh13.5 billion project.
According to the utility’s manager John Guda, the project is the first phase of the Last Mile Connectivity (LMC) initiative which is being implemented to the tune of Sh62.5 billion.
Kenya Power, he said, was using 532 existing transformers to connect electricity to various homes.
“At the moment, Kenya Power is undertaking 252 projects across the country with the aim of enabling 70 per cent of Kenyans access electricity by 2017,” he said, adding that Kenya Power’s goal was to ensure that all Kenyans get access to power by 2020.
To undertake the task, he said, the company is in partnership with contractors around the country to fast-track the multi-billion shilling LMC project.
But he warned contractors against doing sub-standard work which compromises the safety of consumers.
“Contractors must do quality work for the safety of consumers or else those who violate the set electricity standards will be blacklisted,” he added.
Mr Guda also warned contractors against illegal connections and disowning their workers when they die from accidents in the course of duty.
“In Nakuru for instance, there was a contractor who disowned his employee after he died from an accident,” he said.
Mr Guda revealed that 11 people had lost their lives in the last five years due to developers building structures under power lines.
He said the encroachment on power lines was still prevalent in Eastleigh, Kayole and Dandora in Nairobi and parts of Mombasa County.
“We are warning the public against building structures under powerlines or cutting trees near powerlines for their own safety,” he said.
Mr Guda made the remarks at Royal Castle in Mombasa during a meeting aimed at sensitising contractors on safety in order to contain accidents caused by electricity.
Kenya Power network maintenance manager Noah Omondi said the firm suffers a loss of between Sh60 million and Sh75 million a month due to transformer damage.
He attributed this to sub-standard work by contractors, which causes power lines to either collide or fall down.

CREDIT: NMG