Awendo: Residents of Loo Rateng village-Angaga in Awendo Sub County have a reason to smile after being connected to the national electricity grid through the last-mile connectivity programme under the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Cooperation (REREC). The two-kilometre electrification project under the last-mile connectivity programme installed two transformers, with 130 households benefitting from the initiative, thus improving their livelihoods.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Opiyo Wandayi, while commissioning the project, said that the government had allocated Sh1.6 billion for the 2024/2025 financial year to the last-mile connectivity programme to bridge the country’s electricity gap. Wandayi stated that the government will not discriminate against any part of the country in the Last Mile electrification programme but will provide opportunity and equal rights to all Kenyans across the counties.
He also disclosed that the government is in the process of expanding the Gogo hydro plant in Uriri Sub County to boost its production from two megawatts to 8.6 megawatts with an investment of Sh5 billion to enhance power reliability in Western Kenya. CS Wandayi added that the Migori Isebania power project was complete with a power substation at Masaba in Kuria West Sub County already installed.
Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko applauded the effort by CS Wandayi, stating that the electrification process will improve the living standards of rural people in Migori County. He noted that the Last Mile electrification programme was a transformative initiative that would expand electricity access, drive economic growth, and improve the development of Awendo Sub County. Ochilo explained that his administration will continue collaborating with the national government to realise the government transformation agenda.
However, Awendo Member of Parliament Walter Owino mentioned that the last mile connectivity programme would not only improve the living standards of his constituents but also boost the socio-economic activity of Migori County. As of 2025, Kenya aims to achieve last-mile connectivity by connecting approximately 10 million households to the national electricity grid, signifying a significant push to reach the most remote areas with power access through initiatives like the last-mile connectivity project.
The last mile electrification programme is also intended to bridge the electricity gap to ensure that the most remote areas in the country are connected to the national grid. George Odhiambo, one of the beneficiaries of the Loo Rateng last mile connectivity project, explained that the power connectivity will enable him to save finances previously used for alternative power supplies. Odhiambo, who is also a farmer, noted that the electricity connectivity will empower him and other beneficiaries to venture more into farming activity through irrigation to boost their developmental agendas. He thanked REREC for bringing the connectivity project to his community to enhance the socio-economic activity of the Awendo sub-county residents.