150 Bonchari households set for electricity connection after 60 years in darkness

KISII, Kenya, Sep 25 – More than 150 households in Bonchari Constituency are set to receive electricity for the first time following the launch of a last-mile connectivity project in Nyabiendi village.

Residents who said they had lived without electricity for about six decades celebrated as officers from the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) began implementing the connectivity exercise.

Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Aburi said the project would transform the lives of families that have relied on alternative sources of lighting for generations.

“For 60 years, these families have lived in darkness. Today, that story ends. Electricity is coming to light their homes,” Aburi said.

REREC is mandated to implement rural electrification projects and spearhead Kenya’s renewable energy drive. Its electrification programmes are aimed at expanding electricity access in underserved communities.

Electricity to boost education, businesses

Aburi said access to electricity would improve education, security and economic activities in the area.

She said children would have more time to study after dark, while small businesses would be able to operate for longer hours.

“This light is not just electricity, it is security, it is education, it is business. Our children will now read at night and our mothers can do business past 6pm,” she said.

REREC says rural electrification contributes to improved education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, employment and security in communities that gain access to electricity.

The Corporation’s current grid electrification programmes include projects targeting households and public facilities in underserved areas, with the objective of bringing electricity closer to communities.

Jikos and mosquito nets distributed

Alongside the electrification project, Aburi distributed improved cooking jikos to elderly women as part of efforts to promote cleaner cooking and reduce exposure to household smoke.

She also issued mosquito nets to vulnerable families, citing increased mosquito activity during the ongoing rainy season.

“This rainy season has come with many mosquitoes. I have brought nets to keep our mothers and children safe from malaria, and these improved jikos will save them from smoke and save our trees,” she said.

More households targeted

REREC officers said 150 households would benefit during the first phase of the project, with additional areas expected to be targeted in subsequent phases.

Residents welcomed the development, saying it ended decades of waiting for electricity.

“We have been using tin lamps since 1963. Today we are seeing electricity poles in our village for the first time. We thank her for remembering us,” said Jane Bosibori.

Aburi is seeking the Bonchari parliamentary seat in the 2027 General Election, according to the information provided during the launch.

The electrification project comes as REREC continues implementing programmes aimed at expanding electricity access to rural households and communities across Kenya.