NAIROBI, Kenya – The Senate Energy Committee has ordered an investigation into stalled rural electrification projects after a budget review revealed that only Sh8.86 billion of the Sh41.76 billion allocated to the Rural Electrification Scheme had been spent by March 2026.
The expenditure represents just 21 per cent of the scheme’s total budget, despite the programme having entered its sixth year.
The Rural Electrification Scheme began in January 2020 and is scheduled to run until July 2028.
The slow pace of implementation has raised concerns among senators, with the committee now planning targeted oversight visits to establish why some projects have remained incomplete despite funding being allocated.
Senate To Inspect Stalled REREC Projects
Committee chairperson William Kisang said senators will visit Tana River in November and identify up to two additional counties where rural electrification projects implemented by the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) have stalled.
“We will identify between one and three counties with stalled REREC projects and undertake targeted oversight visits to establish the challenges delaying electricity connections,” Kisang said.
The visits will focus on establishing the reasons behind delays in connecting households and other facilities to electricity.
Senators will also assess the progress of projects that have already been launched but remain incomplete.
Senators Raise Concerns Over Unconnected Homes
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale accused REREC of failing to complete some projects after their launch.
Khalwale said electricity poles had remained in place for years without households being connected.
“REREC launches projects when the President visits, and then everything stalls. Poles stand for years without a single household being connected,” Khalwale said.
The concerns point to a gap between the launch of electrification projects and their actual completion and connection of beneficiaries.
Homa Bay Project Also Faces Delays
Homa Bay was cited as another example of slow implementation.
Senator Beatrice Ogolla told the committee that REREC had reached the first school targeted under commitments made during President William Ruto’s August 19 visit only two days before the committee meeting.
She said work at the second stop was still pending.
The committee is expected to use the planned county visits to establish whether delays are caused by funding gaps, procurement challenges, contractor performance or other implementation bottlenecks.
Energy Sector Spending Under Scrutiny
The concerns over rural electrification come amid wider questions about spending and implementation across the energy sector.
By March 31, the State Department for Energy had spent Sh42.98 billion of its Sh63.47 billion allocation.
The State Department for Petroleum, meanwhile, had spent Sh6.08 billion out of its Sh30.69 billion budget.
The figures have prompted the Senate committee to examine whether allocated funds are translating into completed projects and improved access to electricity.
The committee also questioned the reduction in combined allocations for energy and petroleum to Sh56.2 billion in the 2026/27 financial year.
Senators said they would seek details of programmes transferred to the National Infrastructure Fund to establish how the changes will affect implementation.
The Parliamentary Budget Office is also preparing a separate analysis of the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project as lawmakers continue to scrutinise government spending on electricity access.
The Senate probe is expected to provide a clearer picture of the projects that have stalled and the measures required to accelerate rural electrification before the current scheme ends in July 2028.
