Has Kenya’s Governance Reforms in the Energy Sector Enhanced Access to Electricity in Rural Areas?

Abstract

Access to clean and affordable electricity in rural areas is very critical towards improved living standards, economic growth, and development of Kenya at large. Kenya has over the years implemented various reforms in the electricity sub-sector with the aim of accelerating the pace of rural electrification. Nevertheless, there is dearth of evidence on the effects of these reforms on rural electrification. The study sought to evaluate the effect of governance reforms in the electricity energy subsector on rural electrification. We adopted a survey design with a sample size of 384 drawn from rural households in Kakamega, Uasin Gishu and Nyandarua counties. Data was collected using questionnaires analysed by both descriptive and multiple logistic regressions. Findings show that enhanced accountability and decentralization in the electricity sub-sector has a positive effect on access to electricity in rural Kenya. Nevertheless, stakeholder participation has no effect on rural electrification. In addition, there is a low level of citizen participation in the rural participation projects. We suggest that the government should sensitize the rural population on the reforms in the electricity sub-sector and provide a platform for citizens to participate in electrification projects. Key Words: Access to electricity, governance reforms, Logistic regression, Rural. DOI: 10.7176/JETP/13-1-08 Publication date: March 31 st 2023