Kenya Power and Lighting company (KPLC) is going to invest US $15m on projects which is aimed improving power supply in Kisumu and the wider Western and Southern Nyanza region.
According to the company’s Managing Director and CEO Ken Tarus,the projects, which are scheduled for completion by 2019, include repair works on existing substations and distribution lines as well as installation of additional transformers to cope with the growing power demand.
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The transformers will be based in Kisumu South, Chemelil, Muhoroni, Sibembe and Bukembe substations.
Optimizing Energy mix
Furthermore, according CEO Kenya Power is focusing on optimizing the energy mix. This is by ensuring that more renewable energy is absorbed to reduce reliance on thermal electricity and lower the fuel cost charge.
“The issue of high cost of power has been presented to the government and is being considered. When a solution is found, Kenya Power will be more than willing to implement,” he said.
The optimization of energy mix comes after a public rage which was already boiling over due to hiked electricity bills reached a crescendo in January 2018. A report emerged indicating Kenya Power was backdating bills in attempts to recover US $101M loss reflected in the Annual Report for the year ending June 30, 2017.
