The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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President William Ruto has officially commissioned the Sh1.5 billion Lessos–Kabarnet transmission line, a major infrastructure milestone designed to end decades of chronic power outages in Baringo and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties.
The 65-kilometre, 132kV high-capacity line replaces an aging and overstretched 33kV system that has long struggled to meet regional demand.
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Speaking at the ceremony in Kabarnet, the President described the investment as a “catalyst for economic transformation” that will unlock industrial growth and create jobs for the youth.
A Stronger National Grid
The new transmission line is not merely a local fix; it is a strategic reinforcement of the national power backbone. By upgrading the voltage capacity, the project:
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Improves Stability: Dramatically enhances voltage quality and reduces the frequent blackouts that have historically hampered local businesses.
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Integrates Clean Energy: Provides a critical route for “evacuating” power from geothermal plants in the Rift Valley, boosting the country’s uptake of renewable energy.
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Enhances Interconnectivity: Sets the stage for the future Kabarnet–Rumuruti link, which will connect the North Rift to the Mt. Kenya power network.
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Ending the “Outage Era”
For residents and small-scale manufacturers in the North Rift, the commissioning marks a significant turning point. For years, unreliable electricity has forced businesses to incur high operational costs, discouraging large-scale investment in the region.
“This is a transformative investment that will be fully integrated into the national grid,” President Ruto stated. “It will supply reliable and affordable electricity, deliver critical services, and power our economic growth.”
Strategic Future-Proofing
Energy planners emphasize that the project achieves three goals at once: replacing obsolete hardware, stabilizing the regional grid, and preparing the North Rift for future energy sources.
The line is designed to seamlessly integrate with wind energy from Loiyangalani and hydropower from the Seven Forks complex, ensuring the region remains powered as demand grows in the coming decades.
