Electricity in public schools

More than 85% of public primary schools are now connected to the national electricity grid. President Uhuru Kenyatta told Parliament.18,424 of the 21,500 listed public schools have electricity through a connection drive hinged on the ambitious plan of giving free laptops to pupils.

“The remaining 3,076 schools will be done by the end of next month,” said Mr Kenyatta. “In the last two years, more primary schools have been connected to electricity than have been since Independence.”

Kenya Power is also expanding its customer base by connecting homes in rural and low-income urban homes where many people still use kerosene-powered lamps for lighting.

About 385,000 customers were connected to the grid in the past three months, putting the utility on course to connect one million homes. Homes with electricity are 3.15 million up 2,257,983 users last August.

But the laptop plan has been hit by tendering woes after the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board revoked the award of a Sh24.5 billion deal to Indian firm Olive Telecommunication.

Reference : www.businessdailyafrica.com