Schools To Be Powered By May, Says Kenyatta

The announcement was made by President Uhuru Kenyatta when he launched the new Geothermal Power Plant at Olkaria I unit 4 and 5 in Naivasha, Nakuru County.

The President says that the connections will help in powering the schools enabling introduction of ICT for learning.

President Kenyatta has also challenged manufacturers to make sure that prices of commodities are reflective of the reduced cost of power which has so far dropped by 30%.

In his speech, the Head of State said that the government is committed to ensuring affordable power and connectivity to all in order to boost the countries economic productivity and growth.

STRONGER GRID SYSTEM

Meanwhile, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers chairperson Vimal Shah, who was also in attendance, said Kenyans should expect a drop in the prices of commodities following this reduction in cost of power.

On Wednesday, Kenya Power announced a 30% reduction in power costs after recording a 53% pre-tax profit, a Ksh 2.2 billion increase for the six month period ending December 2014.

According to Kenya Power CEO Ben Chumo, the company is putting in place capacity enhancement programmes in order to strengthen the grid in anticipation of the increased generation capacity.

“We are undertaking major power projects including fast-tracking the ongoing construction of 29 new substations and conclusions of tenders for 6 new substations located countrywide to further reinforce the system and enhance service delivery to customers,” said Mr. Chumo.

The event was also attended by Rwanda President Paul Kagame and Energhy Minister David Chirchir among other dignitaries.

By Benjamin Wafula