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Magoya micro hydropower plant is a new project proposed to be constructed to serve communities drawn from Magoya and Rambulla Sub Locations in Uholo West Location of Ugunja Division, Ugunja District in Siaya County, Kenya (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Project Area The project is a decentralized electricity generation and supply system that will use water from Nzoia River that runs along the western border of the area. The general objective of this project is to contribute to wealth creation to the people in Magoya-Rambula through provision of affordable electricity for productive and lighting purposes. In keeping to its mission, the project will catalyze all-round development and progress in the area by inciting new livelihood strategies to improve the citizens livelihood assets. An off stream cross flow turbine and generator set will provide 200 kW of electricity that will be distributed to light 1700 homes, 8 schools, 1 community library and establishing 3 Community Development Centres (CDC) in the existing market centres. The electricity will also power an agroprocessing plant and a community managed water supply system for domestic and industrial use while excess power will be sold to KPLC through an 11 KVA 15 km line.
The targeted activities of the project include construction of a micro hydropower plant with the power output capacity of 200 kW. This will be followed by the installation of a local mini- grid and distribution lines to the targeted consumers within a diameter of 2 km from the generation point. A 11 KVA step up transformer at the generation point and three consumer step down transformers, with 40 km distribution lines to consumer points will be installed Community structures will be strengthened through a phased capacity building process through a Public-Community Partnership to ensure sustainability of project actions. Common Interest Groups will be strengthened along their productive lines i.e. agro-producers and processors, water user association, local fabricators, aqua culturists, transporters etc, to improve their comparative and competitive advantages in their niche areas. These will all be done under the umbrella Siaya Community Foundation Water and electricity supplies will be billed according to usage governed by the loads connected to the mini-grid and independent metering of both water and electricity to each consumer. This will simplify monthly electricity and water revenue collection in accordance to usage. Revenue accrued from the customers will be used for the maintenance of the systems and village development activities. Alongside the hydroelectric plant, agro industries are projected to be put in place for the processing of farm produce. These include grain mills (rice and maize), a fruit, oil and vegetable processing unit, milk cooler, a water bottling plant and a Jua Kali shed. The agroprocessing plant will contract farmers to produce crops for primary processing with strategic linkage to major industries in Kenya (BIDCO and Unilever) This proposal has been prepared for the attention of possible partners to support the project financially. The total investment for the project component (consisting of infrastructure development and capacity building) is estimated at US$787,500 (KES 63 Million) with the investment cost for micro hydropower pegged at 300,000 US$ (3000 US$/kW) and capacity development at US$25,000. The micro hydropower project component is targeted to commence in the year 2012 depending on the availability of funding. Construction for this component is planned to be completed within 15 months.
Project Rationale
A large proportion of Kenyans do not have access to modern energy services. A majority of the rural dwellers are hardly lit, impeding their development efforts. The National Development Objectives of the government of Kenya includes accelerated economic growth and rising productivity of all sectors, equitable distribution of national income, poverty alleviation through provision of basic needs, enhanced agricultural production, and industrialization and accelerated employment creation among others. The realization of these objectives is only feasible if quality energy services are made available in a sustainable, cost effective and affordable manner.
Extensive rural electrification has not been made possible due to high cost implications and limited funding. The construction of the micro hydropower is being considered as an avenue for gradually raising the living standards and reducing poverty of the people in the project area. In this project, it is deemed important that the focus will be on lighting the homes, schools and market centres and strengthening existing and potentially productive agro based industries as well as income generating activities.
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