The electricity connectivity project in Nyabiendi village targets 150 households in its first phase.
REREC has begun a last-mile electricity project in Nyabiendi village, with 150 households targeted in the first phase and more areas expected to follow.
About 150 households in Nyabiendi village, Bonchari Constituency, are set to receive electricity for the first time after the launch of a last-mile connectivity project aimed at ending decades without power.
Residents of the Kisii village welcomed the start of implementation by officers from the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC). Some said their families had depended on alternative lighting for roughly six decades.
REREC officers said the first phase would cover 150 households, with additional areas expected to benefit in subsequent phases. The launch marks the beginning of the connectivity exercise, rather than confirmation that the targeted homes are already receiving electricity.
Families welcome long-awaited connections
Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Aburi said the project would bring a significant change for families that have relied on lamps and other sources of lighting for generations.
Resident Jane Bosibori said her household had used tin lamps since 1963. She welcomed the arrival of electricity poles, saying it was the first time she had seen them in the village.
For residents, the development represents progress after a prolonged wait for access to electricity. Their accounts at the launch highlighted how long families had managed without a grid connection.
Education and businesses expected to benefit
Aburi said electricity access would support learning, improve security and create opportunities for small businesses in the area. She said children would be able to study after sunset, while traders could extend their operating hours into the evening.
She linked the project to the daily needs of households, particularly learners and women running businesses, who stand to benefit from lighting beyond daylight hours.
REREC identifies education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, employment and security among the areas that can benefit when rural communities gain electricity access.
The corporation is responsible for implementing rural electrification projects and advancing renewable energy development in Kenya. Its grid programmes target households and public facilities in underserved areas, seeking to bring electricity closer to communities without adequate access.
Cooking jikos and mosquito nets distributed
Alongside the electrification launch, Aburi distributed improved cooking jikos to elderly women. She said the initiative was intended to promote cleaner cooking and reduce exposure to smoke in homes.
She also gave mosquito nets to vulnerable families, citing increased mosquito activity during the ongoing rainy season. Aburi said the nets were intended to help protect women and children from malaria, while the jikos would reduce smoke and help conserve trees.
Information shared during the launch indicated that Aburi is seeking the Bonchari parliamentary seat in the 2027 General Election.
The Nyabiendi project forms part of REREC’s continuing efforts to extend electricity access to rural households, with the first group of beneficiaries awaiting their connections as implementation proceeds.
