A once quiet Imale village in Kyangwithya West Constituency, Kitui County, has come alive with new hope following the completion of the Last Mile Connectivity Project by the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC).
The project, officially launched on Tuesday by Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira and REREC CEO Dr. Rose Mkalama, has lit up 96 households, ending years of darkness for villagers who had long relied on kerosene lamps.
For Abraham Kithia, a young graduate from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), the arrival of electricity is nothing short of life-changing.
“We put up buildings for rental purposes in this area 15 years ago, but we couldn’t rent them because people preferred areas with electricity and water,” he said.
“Now, we can power machines for welding and carpentry, pump water from River Tiva for irrigation, and even venture into chicken farming.”
Kithia, who graduated in 2023 with a degree in Procurement and Contract Management, says electricity has renewed his hope of investing locally instead of seeking opportunities in Nairobi.
“With power here, I can now start an online business or even set up a Wi-Fi service for the village,” he added.
The benefits of rural electrification are already being felt by small business owners like Elizabeth Mwanzia, a shopkeeper in Imali village.
“Tumekaa miaka mingi bila stima, lakini sasa tukona stima,” she said. “Sasa tunaweka soda kwa fridge, tunaweza fungua salon, posho mill, na watu hawatatembea hadi Kitui au Kwa Vonza. Hata usiku hatuogopi, stima inasaidia security.”
She said electricity has also improved children’s learning as they can now study comfortably at night.
Local leaders hailed the project stating that it will spur economic growth and improve living standards by attracting new investments and encouraging youth-led enterprises.
The national government has set aside Ksh2.3 billion to connect more than 16,000 homes to electricity in Kitui County as part of its broader effort to enhance energy access across the country.
