94 per cent of Kisumu County residents do not have access to electricity.
Governor Jack Ranguma who said this revealed that his government is working to provide alternative electricity power to the residents.
“We will set up a 40 megawatt solar power plant to plug energy gaps in the Kisumu county,” said the governor.
Ranguma said that the plant will be located in Muhoroni constituency and the project wil be commissioned in November. The plant is expected to produce additional power which will be added to the national grid.
“The high costs of electricity and constant blackouts that have affected business made it necessary to have this project,” he said.
The county government already has a land in place in the constituency for the construction of the solar power generation.
Ranguma said that once the project is completed, it will generate 72 Kilowatts per hour of electricity per year and will create employment for 200 skilled and unskilled workers during construction and more than 50 skilled workers during the operating time.
“The feasibility study on the costs of construction is underway. These will add to the other jobs created through value chains created by a stable supply of electricity to industries,” he said.
The plant will lower the cost of operating business in the region to increase industrialisation.