Kenya Power has launched an ambitious program to boost connectivity across the country, but this time with the average Kenyans in mind.
In a notice that was published on Saturday, October 26, the company announced that it was conducting a survey to determine the availability of mature raw eucalyptus trees for use in the power transmission and distribution projects.
Kenya Power clarified that it was reaching out to tree farmers who have mature trees covering more than one acre to declare the number of trees that is ready to be processed, and also the acreage covered.
"The targeted species are Eucalyptus Panicualata, E Citriodora, E Microcirys, E globulus, E regnans, E Saligna, and E grandis," the firm stated.
Kenya Power further explained that the mature eucalyptus trees should be over 10 years old, with a diameter above 255mm (10 inches) at breast height, very straight and free from any physical defect.
"Additional information includes L.R (Land Register) number and the general location of the plantation/farm. This information shall be filled on a sample form at the Kenya Power website or the nearest Kenya Power county offices," the press release read.
The deadline for the provision of the relevant information to the company was set on October 30, 2019.
The notice by Kenya Power comes at a time when the World Bank has given a warning that the country might not be able to achieve universal connectivity by 2020 as it had envisioned.
The World Bank noted that although the country has in the last decade made major progress in connecting its citizens to the electricity grid as well as other off-grid power systems, 2020 might come too soon to achieve universal connectivity.
“Ghana and Kenya stand out as successes and are projected to achieve universal access before 2030, but progress in the region is highly uneven,” read the World Bank’s Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report.
