Kenya Power signs deal to connect five key towns

Kenya Power has signed a Sh445 million deal with a consortium of a Chinese electrical firm and an engineering unit of Singapore’s government for the laying of electricity lines in five key towns across the country.

The joint venture between China’s Sieyuan Electric and the Strategic Engineering Project Department of Singapore will see power lines of 33 Kilovolts laid in Kitale, Awendo, Mwingi, Konza and Kutus.

The consortium will lay lines to transmit power from new sub-stations that the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (Ketraco) is planning to install in the five locations.

“The joint venture will run over the next 18 months and will see the two parties design, supply and install lines that will evacuate power from the high voltage stations,” said Migwi Theuri, Kenya Power’s spokesman.

The China-listed Sieyuan Electric is described as an electric power technology, equipment manufacturing and engineering services firm with global experience, including at the Beijing Olympic Games and World Cup in Brazil.

Strategic Engineering Project Department (SEPD) is a Chinese-led department in the Singapore government.

Mr Theuri said the new power lines will shorten the distance between substations hence improve supply of power and shorten repair time when faults occur.

Kitale town is served by a 100-kilometre line that stretches all the way from Eldoret, a highly inefficient connection in the event of a major fault along the line, he said.

“When such a line gets cut along the way, it takes a long time to pinpoint where the actual problem has occurred. Shorter feeder lines out of the sub-stations serving fewer customers are easier to manage and will minimise blackouts in these five regions.” 

Kenya Power has in the last financial year spent Sh11 billion in construction of 19 sub-stations, 27 line upgrade projects as well as undertaken 38 system upgrade projects across the country to modernise the network.

The power firm is planning to invest a further Sh8.7 billion beginning this month in construction of 36 sub-stations across the country, with Coast and western regions being the major beneficiaries of this project.

READ: Kenya Power targets 1 million new connections this fiscal year

Western Kenya has already benefited from an investment of Sh1.79 billion to stabilise electricity supply by building eight sub-stations in a region that has had perennial interruptions.

These connectivity upgrades are in line with Kenya Power’s aim to boost connections by one million in the current fiscal year, representing a 34 per cent growth on the firm’s customer base of 2.9 million users.

About 443,254 customers were connected to the grid in the year to June, up from 307,000 the previous year.

The government plans to increase electricity penetration to 70 per cent of households by 2020, up from 32 per cent.