Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to ensure frequent power outages within the Southern Region will be a thing of the past.
Wandayi attributed the outages to inadequate transmissions and distribution capacity.
He said that they have embarked on a very ambitious programme, outlining the various infrastructural projects aimed at addressing the persistent power issues.
This is by developing adequate and modern infrastructure for no transmission and distribution.
Wandayi spoke of three projects within the region that will address this, which include the Sondu-Ndiwa transmission line project which is currently at its formative stage; another one is the Awendo Isebania transmission line project together with the substation at Masaba, which is essentially completed and awaiting commissioning.
He noted that there is also the Narok Bomet transmission line project by Ketraco and a similar project on a lower scale done by KPLC.
"It's our belief and hope that once these projects are completed in the shortest time possible, the issue of power outages will be a thing of the past," he said.
On issues of vandalism of transformers, Wandayi said the issue has become very common not only in this region but across the country.
He said they are working closely with the law enforcement agencies to see to it that this particular problem is addressed in the best way possible.
"It is essentially a criminal offence; its crime is pure and plain."
Wandayi appealed to members of the public to take care of the infrastructure brought to their localities.
"Electricity infrastructure once it's brought to your localities belongs to you as the people, please take care of it as if you are taking care of your personal property."
"That way you will help us achieve the objectives of extending power in every household at affordable rates and consistently."
The Cs was speaking in Migori during the commissioning of Nyamchodre Market Rural Electrification Projects, worth Sh25.68 million, which involves contacting new power lines and installing transformers to connect 305 households.
Dr Rose Mkalama, the CEO of Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), thanked the community for allowing them to construct their power lines.
She noted that it becomes very difficult when communities are not supporting project implementations.
"But I want to confirm that when we were constructing this particular project and even with other projects within this county, we have not heard any problem issues, and we would like to thank the leadership of this county because we have worked very closely to ensure the communities are participating in our project implementation."
She said that they know electricity transforms communities, businesses, and families.
"It is, therefore, our business as REREC to ensure that it happens, and we are really happy to be part of this transformation."
Awendo MP Walter Owino thanked the CS for personally coming to commission the project.
He requested that to continue connecting them to the grid because they still have many households yet to be connected.
"I also want to appreciate REREC for the good job they have been doing and would want to assure the REREC people that whatever is installed here will be protected".
The MP added that they are going to try as a community to deal with this issue of vandalism just to ensure that whatever has been installed in the area in well protected and achieves the intended purpose.
Migori Senator Eddie Oketch echoed the MP's sentiments, saying this is a great opportunity for them as people from Migori.
He said this is not just about domestic consumption, but they want to see this as an opportunity to be able to cultivate a robust economic engine in this area.
"There are young people here who can do welding, women who can do saloons and posho Mill and we hope to soon start cultivating such projects and even have cooperatives to start small and medium enterprises in the area."
