Gov't moves to close development gap in Western Kenya and Nyanza

More than 1,000 households in Busia County have been connected to electricity through a partnership between the county government and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), as the government steps up efforts to expand power access in underserved areas.

The connections have been achieved through the Matching Fund Programme, under which county governments contribute funds towards electrification projects, with REREC providing a matching contribution on a shilling-for-shilling basis.

Speaking during the launch of the Madua/Pramukh Village Electrification Project in Matayos Constituency, Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi said Busia County had contributed KSh154 million to the programme between the 2023/2024 and 2025/2026 financial years.

The investment, he said, had enabled 1,018 households to gain access to electricity.

Wandayi urged other county governments to adopt the matching-fund model, saying stronger cooperation between the national and county governments could accelerate rural electrification and improve livelihoods.

“The counties are able to identify areas that require electricity connectivity, while the national government comes in to complement those efforts,” Wandayi said.

Under the programme, county governments can contribute up to KSh5 million per sub-county, with REREC matching the contribution. The model gives counties a direct role in identifying communities that have remained outside the national electricity grid.

Wandayi said the national government would continue supplementing county efforts to expand electricity access, particularly in areas where existing infrastructure has not adequately served local communities.

Wandayi also used the launches in Busia and Nyatike Constituency in Migori County to defend the government's development record, saying Western Kenya and Nyanza had suffered decades of inadequate investment in infrastructure.

He claimed some parts of the two regions were almost 40 years behind in development because previous administrations had failed to adequately address their infrastructure needs.

According to Wandayi, the President William Ruto administration is seeking to reverse the trend through increased investment in infrastructure, including electricity connectivity.

The Cabinet Secretary said the national government had allocated KSh2.3 billion for electrification projects to be implemented through REREC, with constituencies in Western Kenya and Nyanza among the beneficiaries.

In Nyatike Constituency, KSh340 million from the allocation will be used to connect about 2,500 households to electricity.

Wandayi spoke during the launch of the Transformer Maximization Programme at Lwala Rabuor Primary School, where he said the initiative would improve the utilisation of existing electricity infrastructure while extending connections to additional households.

The programme is part of the government's wider strategy to address gaps in the electricity network and increase the number of households connected to the national grid.

Wandayi said improved electricity access would benefit households, schools and businesses while creating opportunities for economic activity in rural areas.

The Nyatike launch was attended by Migori Governor Ochillo Ayacko and Nyatike MP Tom Odege, among other leaders.

In Busia, the electrification project launch brought together Governor Paul Otuoma, Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo and Matayos MP Geoffrey Odanga.

National government officials, Members of the County Assembly, local leaders and community representatives also attended, while REREC was represented by a team led by Engineer Michael Apudo.

Wandayi said sustained cooperation between the two levels of government would be critical to closing Kenya's electricity access gap and ensuring that communities previously left behind benefit from infrastructure investment.