:

Abstract

It is universally accepted that electrification enhances quality of life at the household level and stimulates economy at a broader level. The immediate benefit of electrification comes in the form of improved livelihoods through domestic and industrial use. In Kenya, the government through the Ministry of Energy formed the Rural Electrification Authority; a public fundedagency mandated to implement rural electrification. The government has shown commitment to rural electrification as evidenced by the recent presidential declaration on new connections to the Kenya Power grid. Rural electrification has been a major focus area of the national government in the recent years. This study was designed to examine the effect of rural electrification on the rural livelihoods. The study sought to determine the effect of accessibility, affordability and reliability of electricity on rural livelihoods in Rongai Sub-County. A cross sectional survey research design was used where31,840 households in Rongai sub-county were targeted. The cluster sampling method was used to determine the number of participants who were selected randomly from each ward. A total of 156 respondents were involved in the study. Questionnaire as well as interview schedules developed by the researcher, validated by experts in development studies, and pilot tested in Elburgon town in Molo sub-County were used to collect data. Descriptive statisticswas used to analyze data with the help of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20). Findings revealed that the rural electrification program has made electricity fairy accessible to rural dwellers with over 62.8% having electricity connections. Electricity was also fairly affordable with most households spending between Ksh. 300 and 499 per month on electricity bill. However, there is a major challenge with reliability with 74.2% reporting that they experience power outages about 3 times in a week. Accessibility and affordability were found to have a positive impact on livelihoods as they have supported business growth, crime reduction, and improvement in health services. Reliability issues, however, have a negative impact on businesses and households. The study recommends that, to enhance impact on rural livelihoods, stakeholders in the energy sector should work towards improving the reliability of electricity. There is also a need to make electricity accessible to all rural dwellers so as to ensure equitable distribution of benefits.