Rural Residents Set for Cheaper Power

October 9, 2018//-Kenyans in the rural areas will soon enjoy cheaper tariff for domestic power consumption, weeks after new charges increased electricity costs for middle-class households.

Speaking in Nyandarua at the launch of the Last Mile Programme at the weekend, Energy secretary Charles Keter said President Uhuru Kenyatta had directed the ministry to cut power bills in rural areas.

“We understand that the cost of electricity is unaffordable [to] most consumers in the rural areas. It doesn’t make sense to connect a grandmother in the rural areas but have her disconnected due to unaffordable bills. We want to bring it down to around Sh200 a month,” he said.

The tariffs unveiled on August 1 saw power bills for homes consuming 10-kilowatt hours (kWh) rise by up to 48 per cent. Electricity users consuming below 10 units a month enjoyed double-digit reduction under the new rates. A user of 10 units, for instance, paid Sh169 in August, down from the previous Sh278, representing a 39 per cent cutback.

Homes that consume 50kWh a month paid 54 per cent more at Sh1,067 in August, up from Sh695 in July.

Mr Keter did not give details on the planned new tariff for rural homes.

He said the government would ensure more than 90 per cent connections to the national power grid by the end of President Kenyatta’s second term. The minister said the electricity connections currently stand at 50 per cent.

Business Daily

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