When night falls in Kitui today, the hum of small businesses and the glow of classroom bulbs tell a new story, one of progress powered by electricity.
Between 2022 and 2024, Kitui County has emerged as a model of Kenya’s rural electrification success, with 15,966 households connected to the grid through a total investment of KSh2.19 billion.
The funding came from a combination of sources, KSh 1.17 billion from the AFD/EU partnership through Kenya Power, KSh1.1 billion from the Government of Kenya through REREC, and KSh20.9 million from KPLC’s internal allocation. Together, they have brought light and opportunity to communities across Mwingi North, Kitui Central, and Kitui South.
66% of Schools Now Powered
In just three years, electricity coverage in Kitui has grown sharply; today, two-thirds of all schools and community facilities, equivalent to 66 per cent, are powered.
That means children can study longer, clinics can refrigerate vaccines safely, and maternity wards can stay open through the night.
Local businesses have also come alive under the light. From tailors and barbers to welders and cybercafé owners, entrepreneurs who once closed shop by sunset are now operating well into the evening.
“In the past, we planned our day around daylight,” says Mary Mbithe, a salon owner in Mutomo. “Now, light gives us freedom and income.”
Energy Access as an Engine of Equity
The Kitui success story is part of Kenya’s broader energy transformation under the Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Project, which has linked 360,909 households nationwide to the grid since 2022, contributing to the 1.18 million new household connections achieved across the country.
The project, a key pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), aims to close the gap between privileged and underserved regions.
“Electricity is no longer a luxury; it’s a right,” an official in the Energy Ministry said. “We are seeing the gap between rural and urban areas narrow significantly, and Kitui is proof that the approach is working.”
Powering the Local Economy
In Kitui, electricity has become the silent driver of change. Markets that once went dark at dusk now stay open past 9 pm. Farmers can cool milk overnight. Schools and health centres have become more efficient.
The result, officials say, is not just improved living standards but economic resilience, as small-scale enterprises grow, youth employment rises, and communities gain confidence to plan for the future.
“Light is dignity,” said a local teacher in Mwingi. “Our pupils no longer depend on kerosene lamps. Parents come to evening meetings. It’s like we have gained time itself.”
The Next Frontier: Deeper Access, Greater Reliability
With success in Kitui, focus now shifts to reaching the remaining underserved wards and improving reliability. Nationally, Kenya’s electricity grid has reduced blackouts and improved response times, supported by infrastructure upgrades such as the Gogo Generation Plant and Odino–Muhoroni line.
As Kenya pushes toward universal access, Kitui stands as living proof that electrification is more than infrastructure, it is empowerment.
Each bulb, each transformer, and each powered home marks a story of progress.
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