By Christopher Omondi
The students of Pith Kabonyo Primary School, in North Seme Ward, Kisumu County, have a justified reason to be excited after a successful electrification process, which saw the school access electricity for the first time.
This process was spearheaded by the Rural Electrification Authority. This institution was established in 2007 under the Energy Act to accelerate the pace of rural electrification in the country to help achieve the Vision 2030 aims.
In recent times, students have missed out on essential services that depend on electricity and had to seek the services at other institutions.
“We had to go to Kombewa, which is almost 5 KM away, to access photocopy services for the production of examination materials and other documents. We also experienced difficulty in providing basic amenities like adequate lighting, which hinders the learning and teaching process. We also could not use electronic devices like computers and tablets, hindering access to digital resources and general communication. Finally, the school is vulnerable to security threats as intrusion cases are always being reported, with the staffroom and offices being broken into on multiple occasions. We are therefore excited for the future. We know that this was a National Government project that has been dragging on since 2022, but we can now say that we have electricity at our school,” said Philip Omula, who is a staff member at the school.
The National government, through initiatives like the Last Mile Connectivity Project, aims to expand electricity access to rural areas, including schools. In fact, Kisumu County received KSHS 900 million to support these efforts in the financial year 2024/25, which is a good move in enhancing electricity connectivity, as the residents of North Seme Ward can attest to.
“The security in the school has really improved with the upgrading of the school’s lighting. We are also in the process of pumping water at the school, and this would really help with improving hygiene and health. We have also improved learning experiences at the school since we have been able to use multimedia resources, such as educational videos and audio materials, for the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC), intending to provide a more engaging, effective, and student-centered learning experience”, said Mr. Adera Peter, who is the headteacher.
Kenya’s rural primary school electrification projects are driven by the National government of Kenya to achieve universal electricity access by 2030. This initiative enhances education, promotes digital literacy, and fosters economic opportunities by bridging the urban-rural divide and empowering communities.
