After 44 years without power, Narok school finally connects to the grid

Residents of Tororet in Kilgoris Constituency, Narok County, cheer as a Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation truck ferrying electricity poles arrives in the area on August 25, 2026. [Courtesy]

Tororet Comprehensive School in Kilgoris Constituency, Narok County, has operated without electricity for more than 44 years, leaving generations of pupils to learn without power.

For headteacher Moses Ngamire, the arrival of wiring materials marked a moment he had waited years to witness.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief before offering a silent prayer.

Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi flagged off the electrification materials at the school on Tuesday as the project moved closer to connecting homes and public institutions in the sparsely populated village.

“The Lord has finally remembered us,” said Ngamire.

The school has served generations of pupils, with some former students now returning as parents whose children attend the same institution.

Through curriculum changes and improvements to its infrastructure, one thing remained unchanged: the school had no electricity.

“I do not know how God has remembered us. I can’t just explain,” Ngamire recalled.

The project followed a site visit by officials from the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), who mapped the school for connection to the electricity grid.

The first phase targets 36 households. It will also connect two primary schools, a health centre and other public facilities, extending electricity to institutions that have served the community for decades.

The Tororet project forms part of wider rural electrification efforts under the Last Mile Connectivity Programme, with the government targeting universal electricity access by 2030.

However, members of Parliament’s Energy Committee have questioned official electricity connectivity figures.

Lawmakers told officials in April that reported connectivity of more than 70 per cent did not reflect conditions on the ground, which they put at about 9 per cent.

The rollout comes as Narok County receives Sh2.7 billion for electricity supply projects in the current financial year, targeting about 1,500 households.

In Kilgoris Constituency, Sh360 million has been allocated to connect more than 2,800 households.

For Tororet residents, the project represents more than the number of households set to receive power. It marks a shift for a community that has lived without electricity for more than four decades.

The project is expected to give homes, schools and public facilities access to power once the connections are completed.