How electricity is changing life in rural Kenya

Residents in parts of rural Kenya are reporting changes in how they work, trade and move around after being connected to the national electricity grid under the Last Mile Connectivity Project.

In a village in Kericho, 61 of 82 households have been connected to electricity, according to the project report. Some residents said they had spent decades without access to the grid and relied on traditional lamps for lighting.

The arrival of electricity has also changed how some local businesses operate.

Traders said businesses that previously closed early because of darkness can now remain open later into the evening. A youth group running a barbershop has also shifted from battery-powered equipment to electric machines after getting connected to the grid.

Residents said the additional lighting has made it easier to work and move around after dark, while also improving their sense of security.

Similar changes have been reported in other parts of the country.

In Masindeni, Kwale, residents who previously depended on solar power are now connected to the national grid. In tea-growing areas of Nandi, electricity has reached communities that residents said had waited for years for grid connections.

In Homa Bay, traders said improved lighting has allowed some markets and businesses to remain active later into the evening. Residents also linked the additional lighting to improved security.

The Last Mile Connectivity Project was launched in 2015 by Kenya Power and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), with the programme now covering all 47 counties.

The project targets households located within 600 metres of an existing transformer. It has been implemented in five phases, with funding support from the Government and development partners including the African Development Bank, World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the French Development Agency.

The cost of connecting a household has also changed over the course of the programme. The connection charge, previously about KSh30,000, has been reduced to a subsidised KSh15,000, with the Government covering the remaining cost.

For rural households, the significance of the connections extends beyond domestic lighting.

Residents and traders cited longer working hours, access to electric equipment and improved lighting as some of the changes following connection. Young people have also started businesses such as welding workshops, which require reliable electricity.

However, access remains uneven in some communities.

In one of the areas featured in the report, residents said between 500 and 800 households had been connected out of an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 families. Other communities continue to experience power interruptions despite being connected to the grid.

The experiences point to a broader shift in rural areas where electricity access is expanding, while also highlighting gaps that remain in completing connections and maintaining reliable supply.

For households that have been connected, the change is visible in homes, shops and markets, where electricity is being used not only for lighting but also for businesses and other activities that were previously difficult to sustain after dark.