Japan Injects Ksh1.85 Billion into Kenya Power’s Last Mile Connectivity Project

By Samuel Ouma

The Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP) in Kenya has received a significant boost with a Ksh1.85 billion ($14 million) grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

This injection of funds is a promising step towards the project's goal of universal access to electricity.

Consequently, more than nine thousand (9000) households will be connected to the grid under Phase V of the project.

The households are located in four counties: Nakuru, Kilifi, Kwale, and Nyandarua, where JICA is financing other key energy projects.

"We expect to connect all the targeted households across the four counties by January 2025.

The Company is committed to fast-tracking electricity connection across the couniry to achieve universal access to electricity. We thank JICA for the grant which will go a long way to enable these households to access electricity and transform their livelihoods," said Eng. Rosemary Oduor, Kenya Power's General Manager for Commercial Services and Sales.

The JICA grant comes two months after Kenya Power signed twenty-six contracts for the implementation of Phase IV of the Last Mile Connectivity Project.

The Ksh27 billion ($206 million) project is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union (EU) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). It will connect 280,000 new customers to the grid by November 2025.

 Funded to the tune of Ksh73.1 billion ($558 million) to date, the Last Mile Connectivity Project is anchored on the Kenya National Electrification Strategy developed in 2015 to speed up electricity access for households and businesses in Kenya. Kenya Power is the project's implementing agency on the Government's behalf.

Since its inception in 2015, the Last Mile Connectivity Project has been a resounding success, significantly boosting the electricity access rate in the county. The current rate stands at 76%, with 9.6 million households connected to the grid, a testament to the project's impact on the community.

 A total of 746,867 households have been connected to the grid under the first three phases of the Last Mile Project for Ksh51.1 billion ($390 million).