Rerec has just eight weeks to commission 31 solar-powered mini-grids across four counties. [File, Standard]
The government is racing against a tightening one-month window to complete a $150 million (Sh20 billion) World Bank-funded project to bring solar electricity and clean water to 14 underserved counties, with the September 30 deadline looming.
The Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (Rerec) has just eight weeks to commission 31 solar-powered mini-grids across four counties, install 316 solar-powered water pumping systems, and connect thousands of households to reliable electricity and clean water.
With the clock ticking, the State agency is scrambling to overcome procurement bottlenecks, supply chain constraints, logistical hurdles and community disputes that have plagued the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (Kosap).
Appearing before the Senate Energy Committee this week, Rerec Chief Executive Rose Mkalama presented the official Kosap status report, confirming she has personally inspected 31 active construction sites.
Dr Mkalama assured lawmakers that the multi-component programme is on track to meet its end-of-September commissioning timeline, even as her report acknowledged "implementation delays of varying degrees."
The major infrastructure project will see Rerec deliver 120 newly built solar mini-grids to remote communities.
Backed by the World Bank investment, the regional rollout will immediately connect 5,390 targeted households to green water networks while deploying localised grids engineered to support between 75 and 1,835 active users per site across 14 frontier counties.