Electricity
The government is committed to ensuring 95 percent connectivity to Electricity by Kenyans by the year 2027, State Department for Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira has assured.
“We are working together with the government of Kenya, KPLC and Kengen to increase electricity supply from the current 78 percent to 98 percent of thepopulation before the next General Election,” PS Wachira said.
The PS made the remarks on Friday at Narasha Forest, Eldama Ravine Constituency in Baringo County during this year’s national tree planting exercise. Wachira also informed the residents that the cost of electricity had gradually decreased compared to previous years.
He called on the residents to support the President’s vision for the country instead of criticizing his agendas. Mr. Wachira promised the residents of the area that they will benefit from the Last Mile electricity connectivity programme which is rolling out in the coming financial year.
The Principal Secretary, State Department for Energy Mr. Alex Wachira plants a tree at Narasha Forest in Eldama Ravine during this year’s tree planting exercise, he pointed out that the tree planting is important in mitigating effects of climate change.
The PS was responding to Eldama Ravine Member of Parliament Musa Sirma who complained of low connectivity rates in his constituency and called for the Last Mile effort from Tugumoi to Molo River. Mr. Wachira reiterated the importance of environmental conservation as a mitigation measure for climate change whose effects have caused disasters in the recent past.
“Planting trees is the only medicine to mitigate the effects brought about by climate change; seven months ago we had a serious drought and now we have floods, these are the effects of climate change,” said the PS. The PS also said planting trees will reduce importation of timber while the good climate caused by forest will lead to good food harvests and reduce importation of basic items and in turn strengthen the foreign exchange reserves.
Wachira promised to work with community forest associations since they are an integral part in planting and taking care of the trees. The PS stated that the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum has a target of planting 5 million tree seedlings per year in Kericho and Baringo counties and added that this will only be realized with all the partners working together.
He called on the CFAs and other stakeholders to help the Ministry realize the target which translates to about 462,000 tree seedlings per month. The PS stated that also to meet the target, his department has donated 25,000 tree seedlings to be distributed to the residents of the area so that they can plant in their homes.
Baringo County Deputy Governor Felix Kipng’ok urged the residents to continue planting trees even in their homes, “we can also plant fruit trees like macadamia, coffee and avocado which will give economic benefit.
Several state agencies participated in the exercise with State department for Energy donating 50,000 tree seedlings, Kenya Pipline led by their MD Joe Sang donated 20,000, Kenya Power led by its board members and MD donated 10,000 seedlings and adopted a tree conservancy in the forest.
The Baringo Forest Conservator Ann Nyaoke said they have reduced the backlog of bare forest land which stood at 700 hectares last year when the program was launched by the Energy CS Davis Chirchir to current 300 hectares.
She said they have received 120,000 tree seedlings from partners for this year’s tree planting exercise.