Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi left Parliament without answering a single question on Wednesday, November 11, after senators failed to show up in numbers large enough to open a scheduled committee session.
Wandayi had gone to the Senate Standing Committee on Energy to respond to concerns about electricity access and reliability in Wajir and Mandera counties.
The CS later confirmed that he had attended and that the session fell through. In a statement, he said the Ministry remains committed to parliamentary oversight, transparency and accountability.
He added that it is ready to explain its policy decisions, report on implementation progress and address the challenges facing the energy sector once the hearing is rescheduled.
He said the Ministry looks forward to the new date as it works to deliver on President William Ruto’s promise to connect the two northeastern counties to the national grid.
Wajir and Mandera are among the least electrified counties in Kenya, with large parts of their populations relying on diesel generators or living without power altogether.
To change that, the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) is developing a 220kV transmission line from Garissa through Habaswein and Dadaab to Wajir, with a further extension from Wajir to Mandera.
The Ministry said that while the major infrastructure is still under construction, last-mile connectivity programmes and standalone solar systems have already been rolled out in both counties to widen access in the meantime. The lines are widely seen as key to bringing reliable and affordable power to the region.
Source; https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18VWon72wa/
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