By Abdullahi Jamaa | Wajir Today| Monday, 18 May 2026
Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum Opiyo Wandayi on Monday launched the Last Mile Connectivity electrification programme for Bulla Kisumu and surrounding settlements in Wajir County.
The project forms part of a broader government drive to address long-standing electricity shortages in Wajir and improve power reliability for households and businesses.
Speaking at the launch, Wandayi said the initiative was part of wider energy sector investments aimed at upgrading the county’s power infrastructure.
“We are here in Wajir to launch electrification programme for Bulla Kisumu and its environs. It is part of government programme to solve the electricity issue in Wajir. For long Wajir was in darkness and the government is determined to change that,” Wandayi said.
He said the government had set aside significant funds to support electrification, including last mile connectivity programmes across the county.
“We have invested about 7.7 billion shillings to help us implement last mile connectivity and other projects. We hope the face of the town will change once and for all,” he said.
Wajir East Member of Parliament Adan Daud said electricity shortages remained a major challenge in the county, noting that a large share of the population lives within the town area.
“Wajir is a town with a huge population. About 40 percent live within four-mile area. We have a lot of electricity problem,” he said.
He urged faster implementation of ongoing energy projects, including hybridisation and expansion of generation capacity.
“There is this hybridisation that the ministry is doing, we are requesting the project to be completed so that we can increase electricity generation,” he said.
Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi said improved access to electricity was key to economic growth and industrialisation in the county, adding that ongoing infrastructure works would support development.
He linked the projects to the upcoming Madaraka Day celebrations in the county, saying the event had helped accelerate infrastructure expansion.
“The benefit for us hosting the Madaraka Day is that it brought also the expansion of electricity in our town,” he said.
The governor said further expansion of the national grid was expected.
“We expect when the president comes during Madaraka Day to kickstart the connection of national grid to Wajir,” he said.
He described Wajir as one of the fastest growing urban centres in the country, saying demand for electricity had risen sharply.
“The town is one of the fastest growing towns in this country, there is need to expand the supply of electricity a lot more,” Abdullahi said. “It is time that the county gets connected to the national grid to open up opportunities for industrialisation,” he added.
The Last Mile Connectivity programme is part of the government’s national electrification agenda aimed at increasing household connections and expanding grid access in underserved regions.
