- Kenya tops the list of countries increasing electricity access
- Kenya increased access by 5.6% annually between 2010 and 2019
- Bangladesh, Uganda come 2nd and 3rd
The Energy Progress Report for 2021 has named Kenya as the top country for reducing the population without electricity access. The country improved access, especially in the rural areas, for nearly a decade. According to the report, Kenya’s electrification pace is now ahead of its population growth.
Kenya’s increased in electricity access between 2010 and 2019 at the rate of 5.6%; the highest among the top 20 countries in the world with the biggest electricity access gap with the average world growth rate stands at 0.8%. Bangladesh came in 2nd at 4.1%, Uganda comes in 3rd at 3.2%.
”Among the 20 countries with the largest deficits, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Uganda have made the most progress in electrification, as they achieved annual growth in access of more than three percentage points between 2010 and 2019”, the report says.
”Kenya’s recent efforts at last-mile electrification have not resulted in any real increase in consumption of electricity beyond basic services, putting into question the viability of costly grid connections”, the report continues.
”To date, Kenya’s electrification programs, like most, have encouraged supply while overlooking the need to stimulate demand, especially demand for productive uses of electricity”, the report states.
The report also notes that unscheduled electricity interruptions are among the main challenges facing firms connected to the grid.