Beyond Umeme* for All *(Swahili word for electricity)

WHO:      Independent Development Evaluation of the AfDB, the AfDB East Africa Regional Office in Kenya and the Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth complex of the AfDB

WHAT:         Power sector roundtable to discuss the findings of an IDEV impact evaluation of the last mile connectivity project in Kenya.

Radio and press interview opportunities with authors to showcase the findings and discuss the lessons learned.

WHERE:                     Mercure Upper Hill Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya

WHEN:                       04th April 2023

The Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) conducted an evaluation of the Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP) Phase I in Kenya.

The evaluation noted that the financial sustainability of the electric utility company is a critical success factor for the quality and reliability of electricity provided to eligible households; and that a high cost of electricity relative to household incomes undermines access and the productive use of electricity.

Consequently, the main questions arising from the evaluation to be discussed during the roundtable event are:

What should be done to sustain rural electrification?
How can rural communities be empowered to use the available electricity productively?
How can we assist the power utility to achieve return on investment?

The Power Sector Roundtable event will flag the evidence-based impacts of rural electrification, share experiences, and agree on actions to increase the impact of ongoing and future interventions. The added learning from this event will help the Bank, and Power sector stakeholders in Kenya to better understand the real issues around rural electricity distribution and usage, and factor them into the design and implementation of similar interventions in other countries.

Evaluation Report author available for media interviews: Eustace Uzor

Media Contact: IDEV: Kate Stoney k.stoney@afdb.org