Many primary schools in Kisii still in darkness

KISII: The Parliamentary Select Committee on Energy expressed dissatisfaction in the ongoing schools rural-electrification programme.

The team was in the county over the weekend to assess the success of the programme but were dissatisfied with the fact that most schools lacked proof of actual power connections against the records forwarded to the committee.

The MPs were also stunned with revelations that some schools and members of the public were still in darkness three years after paying the required standing charges.

SAGGING WIRES

According to the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), 18,265 schools in the country have been connected. The authority had hoped to have connected an additional 22,300 schools by the end of June.

Committee members including Joe Mutambui (Mwingi Central), Richard Rongi (Nyaribari Chache), Zebedeo Opore (Bonchari) and Mohammed Elmy (Wajir) were part of the energy delegation that assessed progress of the primary schools lighting programme.

Energy officials accompanying the lawmakers failed to give satisfactory answers on the sagging wires and idle transformers.

The MPs said 80 per cent of the schools visited had electricity connections on paper only.