Residents of Baringo and neighbouring Elgeyo Marakwet counties have a reason to smile, as electricity distributor KETRACO connected a new power line routed to Kabarnet Sub-station in Baringo from Lessos transmission station in Nandi County.
The power boost for the North Rift counties, which leaders and local residents have described as a Christmas gift to them, will address frequent power fluctuations and blackouts that have characterized the region for decades.
Businesspersons who spoke to journalists on Sunday said Kabarnet town will not be left behind in development now that it is connected to a reliable electricity supply.
Baringo governor Benjamin Cheboi, who led the residents in welcoming the ‘Christmas gift’ during the commissioning of the line on Sunday, said the installation of reliable electricity to the region will help create job opportunities through the creation of industrial aggregation parks, amongst other Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) ventures.
Cheboi noted, “Connectivity with the new transmission line actualizes plans by my administration to establish a county Industrial and Aggregation Park in Kimose area within Mogotio sub-county.”
“We will have an industrial park in the North Rift, located between Baringo North and Tiaty constituencies, that is going to be an opportunity for us to create employment,” he said.
The Baringo governor challenged residents and other interested investors to take advantage of new employment and wealth creation opportunities that will come with the new transmission line.
The Ag. Managing Director of KETRACO, Eng. Kipkemoi Kibias, who also urged the people to utilize the power connectivity by investing, noted that the new power transmission line is able to support industrial needs in Baringo and neighbouring counties for the next 30 years.
Eng. Kibias revealed plans by the company to construct another transmission line that will connect Kabarnet and Rumuruti in Laikipia County.
By Vincent Miningwo
