The linkage is the first phase of the Eastern Africa Power Pool project, which aims at interconnecting more than seven countries in this region. The project will be implemented from April next year.
Executive Secretary of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), Callixte Kambanda, said the connection would go on even as several studies leading to the project's master plan continue to be carried out.
Ethiopia has finished its feasibility study and will ''soon'' be rolling out distribution into Kenya through Moyale. Extension from there, however, is subject to Kenya completing a feasibility study that has been delayed since May, it said.
The regional project aims at connecting Kenya to Ethiopia, Uganda to Rwanda, Ethiopia to Sudan, Sudan to Egypt, and Kenya to Tanzania. Other participating countries include Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Burundi and Somalia, it was pointed out.
One of the major challenges facing the regional power project is lack of funding to facilitate the ongoing studies and the infrastructure roll-out, according to the Executive Secretary.
''Because not all members can afford the financial resources required, we shall approach the private sector to come in as partners,'' said Kambanda.
The project aims at guaranteeing access to electricity among participating countries, especially when supply constraints like drought lead to power rationing in the face of growing demand.
Kenya will be connecting its one millionth customer later this year and plans to connect another one million people in the next five years.
Tanzania plans to connect an additional six million people by 2013.It hopes to get at least 75,000 new users on the national grid annually to increase electricity consumption to 1,100 megawatts over the next two years.
Source: Walta Information Center
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