The government of Kenya has sealed a deal for the fourth phase of the Last Mile Connectivity Project. President William Ruto presided over the contract signing ceremony, securing US $203M (about 27Ksh) that will fund connection of 280,000 households in 32 counties.
The Kenya Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP) is a significant initiative aimed at increasing access to electricity across Kenya, particularly in rural and underserved areas. By providing reliable electricity, the project aims to stimulate economic activities, improve living standards, and foster small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) therby transforming the nation into a thriving economic hub.
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Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda
Highlighting the ambitious vision of the project, President Ruto emphasized its role in significantly boosting Kenya’s electricity access rate from 27% in 2013 to over 75% today, thereby connecting 9.6 million Kenyan households to reliable and affordable power.
The Last Mile Connectivity Project, deemed a game-changer in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, has helped bridge the development gap between rural and urban areas. The current phase receives additional funding from the European Union, the French Development Agency (FDA), and the European Investment Bank (EIB), with the Kenyan government contributing about US $19M.
President Ruto stated that expanding the electrical grid to underserved areas has substantially increased national productivity by enabling the adoption of efficient technologies across various sectors. He reaffirmed the goal of achieving 100% connectivity by 2030. Alongside this, a parallel connectivity program worth US $166M, in partnership with the AfD and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, aims to connect over 270,000 customers.