Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB or "the Bank") has conducted an Impact Evaluation of Phase 1 of the Last Mile Connectivity Project in Kenya. The project sought to increase access to electricity, particularly for low-income groups in peri-urban and rural areas, by maximizing the use of existing transformers of the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC). Approved by the Bank in 2014, at a value of about USD 131 million, the project was envisaged to extend the low-voltage electricity network to reach around 1.2 million people.
The evaluation aimed to inform the mid-term review of the AfDB’s Strategy for the New Deal on Energy for Africa (NDEA) by estimating the causal impact of the project so as to generate lessons and provide recommendations to enhance the impacts of ongoing and future electricity access projects.
Overall, the project was found to be effective in increasing access to electricity for the beneficiaries. However, the reliability and quality of electricity varied substantially across locations, and there was a limited increase in the productive use of electricity. The evaluation also observed that the development outcomes for the project were unlikely to be sustainable in the near term. Some of the lessons that the evaluation draws are on the productive use of electricity, on the success factor for the quality and reliability of electricity, and on increasing the participation of beneficiaries in electrification projects. The Bank was advised to ensure the sustainability of project benefits, stimulate and manage households’ and businesses’ demand for the productive use of electricity, and improve the design and implementation of its future electrification projects.
Evaluation Task Manager: Eustace UZOR - Evaluation Officer