Kakamega residents will access affordable and stable electricity following the establishment of three hydropower plants in the region.
The power supply by the Rural Electrification programme will end frequent power outages experienced in the county by at least 300, 000 households in the next six months.
Governor Fernandes Barasa said each of the power plants will be able to generate up to 750 kilowatts of power, which will then be distributed to households, business enterprises within the county, learning institutions and government offices at an affordable cost.
Barasa said that the county has partnered with HydroBox, which will be producing sustainable and renewable energy sources on River Nzoia and Gala River which passes through the county.
“We will no longer rely on the expensive and unstable power supply we are using today. We will have a steady and uninterrupted power supply going forward,” said Barasa.
The governor said the excess power will be transmitted to the national grid, adding that the incorporation of solar panels will ensure supply stability during dry seasons when levels of water drop in the two rivers.
He said that the three hydro-power plants will each produce and supply electricity at a radius of 18 kilometres.
Barasa said that Kenya Power lost its monopoly in power supply after the law was amended to allow other players to also produce and supply electricity.
The governor was speaking during the first inaugural Kakamega Business Awards and Gala Dinner at Kakamega Kakamega’s Golf hotel on Thursday night.
The event was organised by Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) – Kakamega Chapter to recognise legendary business people’ whose business enterprises have been the force behind the socio-economic growth of Kakamega County by helping to create job opportunities for the locals.
Barasa also announced that ‘the First Kakamega International Investment Conference that was earlier slated for February 6 to 9 has been postponed to March 19 – 22.
HydroBox founder, John Mogiro said the company harness the energy of diverted water from a nearby river to spin turbines that generate electricity.
He said the process is initiated by the creation of a small reservoir, where water is channelled into a canal and subsequently directed through a pipeline to the turbine’ which drives an alternator that produces power.
Wycliffe Kibisu, the KNCCI – Kakamega Chapter chairman said that ‘by producing its own electricity the county will be able to do business with ease saying, “Losses experienced whenever there’s a power outage, will be a thing of the past”.
“Some of our members deal with highly perishable products and have been recording huge losses due to unreliable power supply,” said Kibisu
On why they organised the business awards, he said ‘the business community’ with businesses in Kakamega have played a pivotal role in streamlining the growth of the country’s economy and at the same time creating job opportunities for the locals.
The overall winner of the ‘Kakamega Gala Business Award’ was Ebrahim Ambwere, a renowned business mogul in real estate, hospitality, manufacturing and farming across the Lake Region Economic Bloc.
