Trans Nzoia Power Drive: Government Targets 10,939 Homes in KSh 1.09B Connection ProjectsTrans Nzoia Power Drive: Government Targets 10,939 Homes in KSh 1.09B Connection Projects
Key Highlights
- Two electricity projects worth a combined KSh 1.09B ($8.43M) aim to bring power to 10,939 households, 2,147 in Cherangany and 8,792 across the wider county.
- Roads take a far bigger share of the tour's spending, with KSh 18B ($138.86M) going into 270km of Trans Nzoia roads and KSh 7B ($54.00M) into widening Maili Tisa to Kitale Road.
- No implementing agency, contractor or connection dates were named, so how quickly the households get power, and who pays, is still unanswered.
Nearly 11,000 homes in Trans Nzoia County are in line for electricity connections under two government projects worth KSh 1.09B ($8.43M).
The government flagged off a KSh 171M ($1.32M) project in Cherangany Constituency to reach 2,147 homes, and has started a KSh 922M ($7.11M) project to connect 8,792 homes across the county, The Kenya Times reported from President William Ruto's development tour of the North Rift. Together the projects target 10,939 households.
The announcements did not name the implementing agency or contractor, and gave no locations or connection dates for the countywide project. For a household waiting for power, that leaves the key questions open: when the poles go up, and what a connection will cost.
If the homes join the Kenya Power grid, which the announcement did not specify, they will arrive at a time of rising unit costs. In an earlier report by Mwenendo, October's tariff add-on put KSh 4.10 ($0.03) on every kilowatt-hour.
Roads take the larger share
Power was one part of a wider spending drive. The government launched a 27.5km road from Mwaita to Kesogon in Cherangany, valued at KSh 1.7B ($13.11M). In Kiminini it started phase one of the Kiminini to Mitoto, Ndalu and Brigadier road with KSh 500M ($3.86M), and KSh 1B ($7.71M) is pledged to finish it.
The government is also investing KSh 7B ($54.00M) in expanding Maili Tisa to Kitale Road, and KSh 18B ($138.86M) to build 270km of roads across Trans Nzoia. Mr Ruto also inspected the Kiminini Modern Market and commissioned a 27-classroom tuition block at Kiminini Comprehensive School.
What connected homes tend to spend
New connections do not always add much to a utility's sales. Mwenendo earlier reported on how new Kenya Power customers spend less: homes and shops connected in the year to June 2026 averaged KSh 818.68 ($6.32) a month, down from KSh 1,061.76 ($8.19).
For rural households, the gain is lighting, phone charging and the chance to run small businesses. Whether the Trans Nzoia projects deliver it depends on timelines the announcements have yet to give.
In Summary
- Who announced the projects?
- The government, during President William Ruto's development tour of the North Rift, as reported by The Kenya Times.
- What was announced?
- Two electricity projects, KSh 171M ($1.32M) in Cherangany and KSh 922M ($7.11M) countywide, targeting 10,939 households in total.
- When will homes be connected?
- No connection dates were given for the countywide project in the report.
- Where are the projects?
- Cherangany Constituency (2,147 homes) and across Trans Nzoia County (8,792 homes).
- Why does it matter?
- Connections bring lighting, phone charging and power for small businesses, but timelines, costs and the implementing agency remain unstated.
- How much is the government spending on roads in the county?
- KSh 18B ($138.86M) to build 270km of roads, plus KSh 7B ($54.00M) on expanding Maili Tisa to Kitale Road.